Not Just A Memory
by Phantom of The Bandroom
Summary: Alex is keeping a deadly secret, but she knows that to tell would be much more costly than her own life. As her family desperately tries to reveal the truth, can she survive the man who is keeping her silent?
1. Chapter 1

"Where are you headed off to, Alex?" Joan asked as she watched Alex saddle up her black stallion.

"Mother and I are going for a ride. Do you want to tag along?" She watched as Joan's face lit up in excitement.

"Of course. I need to saddle up. I'll just be a moment."

Alex smiled at her beloved younger sister. "I'll wait."

For a moment, she could hardly believe this was happening to her; finding her family, having a sister to look after, having a kingdom that she would soon be running. It was amazing.

It had been a year since her return and much had changed. There were days when she still felt lonely and confused, but they were becoming scarce. She smiled, gladdened by this thought.

She mounted up and waited a few more seconds for Joan to ride up. Together, they rode out of the stable and met up with Odette, who had been waiting patiently outside. She looked quizzically at Alex; she had not been expecting Joan to be with her.

"We have a tag along," Alex announced, grinning. "I hope that's alright."

Odette smiled at her two daughters. "It's perfectly alright. I'm glad to spend time with my two girls."

"You could've had three if Eli hadn't messed things up," Joan joked.

"Now, Joan, I love all my children equally, boy or girl… but you're right. Eli did mess things up."

Alex chuckled. Yes, her family still amazed her. No, she wouldn't give up her time with them for anything. "So, where are we going?" she asked casually.

"Lead the way, Alex," Odette replied.

Alex complied. She started down the road, having no particular destination in mind. She was lost in her own thoughts, silent. It was fall again. The changing leaves brought back a lot of memories of the year before. Those were the best days of her life.

She thought about Matthew. She missed him. He and Derek had gone to Lincolnshire to visit with his parents and share with them some important news. They were due back in about two days. Still, it felt like a life time for Alex and Odette. They both new what it was like to be separated from the ones they loved, and, even if – for Alex – it was assured that he would return safely, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

But all Alex could do was wait, and trust that things would happen sooner that she thought.

"Something wrong, Alex?" Odette asked, concerned by Alex's silence.

"Just thinking about time, I guess; how it passes, how fast it goes by… pretty dumb, huh?" She didn't really want to admit that she missed Matthew so much, but she guessed by Odette's smile that her mother already new what was on her mind.

However, Odette still pretended not to notice. "Not at all. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Yes I just…"

She stopped short. The horse halted soon after her words. She was completely still, staring blankly ahead at something up the road. Odette and Joan followed her gaze to a house.

"What is that place?" Joan asked Odette, her voice a whisper. She didn't want to ask Alex, as she knew her older sister was disturbed by the house and whoever resided in it. She hoped Odette would be able to tell her what was going on.

"It's where I grew up," Alex answered, having overheard her sister. Her voice became suddenly very quiet. "I didn't realize we were headed this way…"

"Alex?"

As Alex turned around to address her mother, she could see that Odette's eyes were filled with worry.

"It's alright," she assured her. "Really, it is. I just didn't think I'd be seeing this place for a while."

"Did you think you'd go back?" Joan asked.

"No, I just… I tried to forget about it, you know. It represents twelve wasted years of my life. I just wanted to stay away." She was quiet for a moment. "But right now, I want to go closer." She urged the horse forward. Odette and Joan reluctantly followed.

Alex seemed to be in some sort of strange trance, and Odette didn't want to just leave her.

Alex continued forward, faster now. When she reached the edge of the walkway that led to the front door of the old house, she stopped and dismounted.

It was then that two people – two girls about the same age as Alex – appeared in the yard, taking clothes that had been hanging, swaying in the light breeze, on a nearby line. The folded the clothing neatly and placed it in whicker baskets.

Odette watched as Alex smiled and walked over. As if she had been doing it for years – and she had, as Odette thought about it – she started to help the two girls.

They immediately stopped what they were doing and walked around the clothesline where Alex was working to see who was helping them. The first girl to reach Alex, a short young lady with olive toned skin, gasped in shock. The other, a taller blonde, quickened her pace to find out what had startled her friend.

"Alex!" the first girl exclaimed.

"I don't believe it!" the other added.

"Believe it," Alex laughed. "How are you, Mireia? Lydia?"

"Glad that you're here," Lydia replied. "And what about you? You look so… different."

"Different?" Alex asked, cocking her head slightly to the side, her grin fading just a little bit. "How so?"

"You look happy," Mireia explained. "You look like you've found something you've been looking a long time for."

Alex's smile returned. "I… I found my family."

Lydia and Mireia congratulated her. Alex waved Odette and Joan forward. They hesitatingly replied, somewhat unsure of Alex's friends - but then again, what was there to be worried about? Joan led the way, excited to learn about any part of her somewhat mysterious older sister's life.

"My sister," Alex introduced, "Joan. And my mother, Odette."

"Alex…" Mireia dropped into a quick curtsey, bowing her head. Lydia quickly did the same. "You should have announced them better."

"Well you seem to know who they are anyway."

Lydia stood up straight. "Only because we aren't completely ignorant… but that makes you… Princess Alexandra."

"Alex," Odette said, smiling, "maybe you should have been more gentle with telling them…"

"You're right," Alex agreed. "I'm sorry. I'm still not totally used to everything, even though it's been a year."

"I can imagine," Mireia said, understanding. "Things have changed here as well."

"Is Lady Diggs still around?"

"Unfortunately," Lydia answered. "It's not like she was going to just vanish from our lives when you did."

Alex felt a little stung with that. "Ouch. It's not like I meant to just leave and never come back... but I guess I didn't think, when I found my family, that I'd come back at all. I suppose you're right. I did vanish."

"Don't feel bad," Mireia quickly interjected. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You know how Lydia is. She can't just admit that she missed you."

Alex nodded and smiled. "So you said that thinks have changed here. What did you mean?"

"A lot of people followed your example. They left not long after you did, those of them who were able to live on their own, that is."

"Is Lady Diggs really that bad?"

"It was more about freedom than about her."

"That isn't to say that she's not a tyrannical witch," Lydia added. "She _is_ pretty nasty."

"It just surprises me that no one's done anything about her."

"Well, what can we do? It's not like we have the power to stop her."

Alex's eyes lit up. "No, but I do, and with my mother's permission, I can take Lady Diggs out of here."

Odette nodded. "Of course you have my permission, but who will you put in her place?"

"Lydia, Mireia, think you can handle it?"

Mireia gasped. "You mean…?"

"Yes. Do you want to run the orphanage along with Lydia? You'll have my full support. You're friends of the royal family now, remember?"

"But do you think we can handle it?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't," Alex assured her.

Lydia stared at Alex, still in shock. "Alex, this is the best thing anyone has ever done for us… thank you."

"Thank my family."

Mireia and Lydia both curtsied deeply. "Thank you, your majesty."

Odette smiled. "Anything for my daughter's friends. You've taken care of her, so now we'll take care of you."

XxX

They talked for a while longer. Before long, Odette and Joan went ahead and left, as they would be expected back soon by Eli, who would surely worry if they did not return soon.

About an hour later, Alex arrived back at Swan Lake. She had made arrangements with Lydia and Mireia to return to the orphanage with Eli and kindly ask Lady Diggs to leave before she was arrested. It would be hard to argue with two members of the royal family.

Upon her arrival, Alex found nothing out of the ordinary. She led her horse back into the stable and left him in his stall, as he should have been. She walked back inside the main part of the castle. It was here that she found something strange.

There was talking and light laughter… coming from the great hall. It was familiar enough, but the location was strange. Normally, her family would be in a private rumpus room or somewhere like it. The great hall was usually only occupied when the family was waiting on someone to arrive.

Alex walked there, and found that Joan, Odette, and Eli were already there, looking outside the window.

"There they are!" Joan called, pointing.

"Who?" Alex asked, just before the doors opened.

Outside, a carriage pulled up. Alex's heart leaped with excitement. Could it really be…?

It was.

Stepping out of the carriage was first Derek and then – Alex's heart leaped again – Matthew. Odette and Alex were barely able to keep themselves from running to meet Derek and Matthew. Alex sprinted the last fifteen feet to close the distance. She couldn't care less what anyone else thought.

"You weren't supposed to be home so early!" she laughed jocundly.

"It was supposed to be a surprise. We sent word ahead so you would wait here for us. I didn't realize you didn't get the message."

"I had no idea you'd be back so soon."

"But are you not happy to see me?" Matthew joked. "I could leave again."

As if in protest, Alex threw her arms around him. "I don't ever want to be separated from you," she whispered in his ear. "I would never wish you away."

Eli and Joan watched the reunion from the doors.

"They're kind of gross when you watch them," Eli commented.

"You're kind of jealous when I watch you," Joan replied, eying a nearby guard.

Eli stared at her in shock. She burst into peels of laughter, catching everyone's attention.

"What's so funny?" Derek asked.

"The look on Eli's face."

XxX

"So you told your parents about us?" Alex asked.

"Of course I did," Matthew replied. "And they're happy for us."

They were walking along Swan Lake. The sun had set, but the full moon made for a gorgeous reflection on the water. Matthew took Alex's had and lightly squeezed it. "You have nothing to worry about."

"That's easy for you to say. You know your parents."

"So? Who cares what they think, anyhow? Don't get me wrong, I am glad they approve, but, in the long run, it really doesn't really matter, Alex. What really matters is us." He placed his hand under Alex's chin and tilted her head up. "So I don't want you to worry."

He kissed her. All she could feel were his lips on hers and the head rush that the strong, loving emotions that were being passed between them caused. They pulled apart, out of breath.

"Still worried?" he asked.

"No," she replied, breathless. "You sufficiently distracted me."

He laughed. "Don't worry. They're going to love you, as they did before you were kidnapped. They're so glad for us, in fact, that they've decided to have a ball for us."

Alex sighed. "I knew there was a catch."

"Don't worry. It will be just a few close friends of both our families. Nothing to fear, my love."

She kissed him again, smiling in reassurance when they broke off again. "Nothing to fear."


	2. Chapter 2

"Where are we going, again?" Eli asked impatiently as Alex was leading the way down a road he did not often travel.

"Oh, come on, Eli," Matthew teased, "she's already explained this twice. She's using us as the muscle for her plan to get rid of the woman in charge of the orphanage she grew up in."

"Right, I need the two of you for _muscle_," Alex said sarcastically, fighting her good natured laughter. "That's exactly it."

"Then what do you need us for?" Eli asked, still wondering what it was she wanted from him.

"Legitimacy," Alex replied simply. "Would you believe a girl, who walked out on her friends, you believed to be an orphan and came back to be a princess?"

"When you put it like that," Eli answered, "probably not."

"But you _look _like a princess," Matthew said, staring into her eyes. "You look every bit as dignified as any lady – and I mean _lady_, not someone who falsely affixes the word to their name – of the court."

Alex couldn't help but blush. He could be so kind sometimes. "Still," she began, changing the subject, "I just want this to go smoothly. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Do you expect that, Alex?"

"Not hurt in a sense that someone might get an injury. I just want this to go smoothly. Get Lady Diggs out and get Lydia and Mireia in."

"Lady Diggs?" Eli could swear he remembered her name from somewhere… "I know who that is! She attended a royal ball one year – I think it was one of grandmother's – and mother could not stand her."

"Mother didn't like her? I can't believe they were even in the same room."

"I remember that," Matthew chimed in. "It was the summer before my father got sick and we were all visiting. Your mother was absolutely enraged when we left. I'd never seen her so irate."

"What did Lady Diggs do?" Alex asked, intrigued.

"Some people don't realize that we're human too," Eli explained. "They don't always realize that we want privacy and that we don't always want to be bombarded with questions. Anyway, Lady Diggs was just annoying in the extreme, and she didn't exactly take any hints."

"I see. Well, here we are. Maybe she'll take a hint now."

Together, they dismounted and walked up to the house.

"If you like," Matthew whispered, stopping Alex just before she knocked on the door, "I'll do the talking."

"That would probably be for the best," Alex replied. "I don't usually back down from things like this, but… you lead."

"Whatever you like, princess."

He knocked on the door with three short raps. Answering it was Mireia, who smiled at Alex. "You're back."

"I said I would help, remember?" Alex smiled and gave Mireia a hug. She really had missed her old friends. "Now, to business. Where is Lady Diggs?"

"Her office," Lydia, who had just appeared in the doorway replied. "Still know the way?"

"If I don't, you will," Alex replied. "With all the times Father Clarence had to chastise you, you should know the way like the back of your hand."

"Before we go further," Mireia said, "we need to make sure you can prove that you are a princess."

"I brought my brother, Eli," Alex replied.

Mireia smiled at him and curtsied. Shyly, Eli grinned back and shook her hand. Lydia, Alex, and Matthew stood by, watching – and trying to choke back laughter – the awkwardness between them.

"And this is… my fiancé," Alex said, looking pointedly at Matthew.

Lydia and Mireia stared for a moment. It was almost impossible to believe that Alex was getting married.

"A pleasure," Mireia finally said.

"Well, shall we?" Matthew asked. "Lead the way, ladies."

As Lydia, Alex, and Mireia walked ahead, Lydia couldn't help but whisper into Alex's ear; "We have a lot to talk about when we're finished."

Alex tried to hide a cheeky grin, knowing exactly what Lydia wanted to talk about. She wished she had told her friends of her engagement sooner. She didn't realize how much she would miss them when she left, and she was quickly reminded of all their support of her throughout the years on that day.

They stood outside the office door for a moment; Alex, Lydia, and Mireia collecting themselves, Eli and Matthew getting themselves into a more royal attitude. It was rare for them to use their royal powers when the matter wasn't of dire importance, but they had agreed to Alex's request simply because they would do anything for her.

Matthew stepped forward, gave Alex a reassuring nod, and was just about to knock on the door when Lydia stopped him.

"Wait," she said, "let us announce you."

Matthew nodded and backed out of the way as Lydia timidly – it didn't take him long to realize she was merely acting scared – tapped on the door.

"Enter!" barked a voice from within.

Lydia faced Alex for a moment with a proud smirk just before she walked in. Alex and the others could hear her announce them; "There are some very important people here to see you, Lady Diggs."

"Who?" Lady Diggs demanded.

"Prince Matthew of Lincolnshire, and Prince Eli and Princess Alexandra of Chamburg."

"Princess Alexandra? The girl went missing about thirteen years ago. There is no way she is at the door… if you're lying to me, there _will _be consequences."

Lydia was in no way bothered by her threats. "She was found last year, remember? There was much excitement about her return."

"Very well, then. Send them in."

Lydia returned to the door and waved them in. Matthew entered first, with Alex catching up to his side, and Eli and Mireia bringing up the rear.

Lady Diggs was inside, waiting for them. She was more than surprised to see the princes and princess, as Lydia, who she thought very little of – not that she really cared for the other orphans in her charge - had said.

But upon closer inspection of Princess Alexandra, she found that she recognized the girl from somewhere. It had been a while, but, yes, she had seen this girl before… perhaps not so polished and confident but still…

"You!" Lady Diggs exclaimed. "You're that brat! The one who ran away!"

"And now I'm back," Alex said, forgetting that she had asked Matthew to do all the talking. "But not because I wanted to return; no, I've found my home."

"And what is it that you want from me, your highness?"

"I want you gone. Your coming to this orphanage has driven away not only myself, but others; children who might not have been ready to make it on their own."

"How can you blame their foolishness on me?" Lady Diggs demanded. "They followed your lead."

"You gave them no reason to stay. I left because I didn't belong here. They left because they had nothing to lose from getting away."

"Look at this place," Matthew muttered, "it's falling apart."

Lady Diggs sneered at him. "Well, if you are not satisfied with the way the place looks, perhaps you should arrange some funding."

"You have enough money to run this place in your own estate," Eli said. "If you want to play the sympathy card, maybe next time you'll take off that nice diamond on your finger."

Embarrassed, Lady Diggs covered the large gem. She was just about to speak when Alex cut her off.

"There won't be a next time. You will gather your things and leave; that's a direct order from the throne."

"As you wish, your majesties," Lady Diggs growled. Begrudgingly, she gathered her things and sent for a coach from her home, which was north of the orphanage. She would be gone within the hour, Alex was told.

She had no desire to wait until the shamed Lady Diggs left. She and the others returned to the main house and waited for a few minutes while Lydia and Mireia gathered everyone so they could announce Lady Diggs' exile.

As they walked down the stairs and filed into the foyer, many of their faces lit up when they saw Alex.

Matthew had never realized how much of Alex's past the orphanage held. But of course it would, he knew. She had spent so much time there. And with her natural ability to lead and influence others – a talent she hardly knew she had – how could she not be a big part of these children's lives?

"Lady Diggs," Alex began, "is gone. And, to replace her, you have Lydia and Mireia. So, respect them, alright? They're going to treat you right, so treat them right."

The children were, of course, ecstatic. They had been under Lady Diggs practical dictatorship for just over a year and, in that time, they were absolutely miserable. Like Alex, their only real comfort came from Lydia's courage and Mireia's kindness.

"Well," Alex said, turning to the new orphanage directors, "let's talk."

"We'll give you ladies your privacy," Matthew whispered to Alex. "I'll wait."

Alex, Lydia, and Mireia walked off, headed to the edge of the woods, where there was a tree with a limb that had grown strangely and dipped to the ground, providing an excellent place to sit.

"Alright, Alex," Lydia started as soon as she took a seat. "Spill."

Alex laughed. "first, I want to say that I'm so sorry for not checking in on things here."

"It's alright," Mireia assured her, smiling kindly. "You must have been busy with your new family."

"Yeah, but that's no excuse. I should have come back, just to make sure that everyone's okay."

"Everyone _is _okay, Alex," Lydia said. "Gah, we forgive you for leaving. But if you don't tell us what's going on now, we'll never let it go. How did you find your family?"

Alex told them everything that had happened in her absence. From meeting her mother after the talent show, to her first royal ball, to fighting Zelda and getting her memory back.

"And recently," she said, "Matthew proposed and we're getting married soon."

Mireia smiled, happy for her long suffering best friend. "Sounds like you've got it all together."

"Yeah," Lydia agreed. "We're both really happy for you... and Mireia here seems to be especially happy you found that brother of yours."

Mireia gasped in embarrassment while Alex and Lydia laughed. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Poor, poor, naïve Mireia..." Lydia said, shaking her head. "Come on, we could see the look on your face."

"Oh, come on now. He's a royal... and besides that, he's probably older than me."

"Actually," Alex said, grinning, "our parents could care less who we marry, so long as we're happy and in love. And Eli is about your age."

"Who says I would marry him?" Mireia murmured.

Alex couldn't help but laugh. "I was just trying to make a point."

"Anyway," Lydia switched the subject back to Alex, "when's the wedding?"

"We're not quite sure yet, but, I promise, I'll make sure the two of you get an invitation... and maybe, Mireia can be escorted by my brother."

"Hilarious, I assure you," Mireia said sarcastically.

"Sarcasm?" Alex asked. "Lydia, maybe she's been around you for too long. You're rubbing off on her."

"I do my best," Lydia said smugly.

"At any rate, I'm glad the two of you can handle things here. Really, I am. And if you ever need anything, send a message. Or even visit me in person, I don't care. Either way, I'll be only too happy to help."

Mireia nodded. "Alex, we're just glad that you're happy."

"Yes, we are," Lydia agreed. "I don't think you know how much it relieves us to hear that you finally found your past."

"Thanks," Alex said. "I really appreciate hearing that. And, I promise, I will come back to visit whenever I can."

"You had better," Lydia threatened mockingly. "Now, I bet Matthew is tired of waiting. So, go home, talk to him. Try to play match maker with Mireia and Eli – ouch!" She rubbed her arm where Mireia had just playfully punched her. "I was just kidding!"

"I'll do all that," Alex said. "I'll be back soon to check in. Goodbye, for now."

Mireia smiled up at Alex, who was getting to her feet. "Goodbye, Alex."

Lydia hugged her friend, for once showing that she wasn't as tough as she lead on. "Goodbye. See you soon."

XxX

Alex met up with Matthew, who had been waiting under a great oak tree near the front of the house with his and Alex's horse. He was thoughtfully brushing his horse, cooing to it. He turned around and, upon seeing Alex, smiled.

"Hey," he greeted, putting the brush in one of the horse's saddle bags.

"Hey," she said in return, walking quickly to close the distance between them. He helped her with that, and as soon as they were close enough to touch, they kissed deeply. True, they had only been separated for an hour or so and they weren't that far apart, but it still felt wonderful to be reunited.

They stopped kissing and mounted up.

"Where is Eli?" Alex asked, realizing that her brother was not around to make fun of her and Matthew.

"He went home," Matthew replied. "He seemed to like your friend Mireia."

"So you noticed too?"

"It was hard to miss. Even if it wasn't love at first sight, he sure did like what he saw."

Alex laughed. "She has a crush on him already. I think I'll have to come up with an excuse for those two to meet again."

"Agreed. And as for us, let's talk marriage."

"Marriage..." Alex whispered, trying to get a feel for the word. "There's a lot to talk about."


	3. Chapter 3

"Nervous?" Matthew asked, Cheshire cat grin painted all over his face, sparkling in his eyes.

"How can I not be?" Alex retorted. "It's not like I've been married before."

"Alex, I'm nervous too, I promise. So you're not alone. We'll help each other through it. You'll see."

"I should have known I could count on you. I can't believe I let myself get so nervous." she smiled. "Anyway, what about marriage did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing, really. I just think it's kind of cute when you blush."

Alex turned away so he couldn't see her – of course – blush. She could feel the blood rush to her face, but she didn't want to give Matthew the satisfaction of seeing it. However, he laughed, knowing what she was trying to hide.

"But there is something I wanted to ask you," he said, serious now.

Catching his tone, she quickly got over her embarrassment and turned back to him. "And what is that?"

"Why did you want me to do the talking earlier? Was something bothering you?"

"I just... I find you're more diplomatic than I am. You handle yourself better than I do."

"I'd say you handled yourself beautifully, Alex. Don't be so insecure."

"It's just so hard for me to sound like other princesses... like my mother or my sister. They seem to be able to always know what to say."

"But they don't, Alex. They go on what they know at any given moment. Their eloquence comes from experience and the way they grew up. You, for twelve years, didn't have that benefit, but, Alex, it doesn't mean a thing. You're absolutely right; you don't sound like your mother or your sister. You think alike, but you express yourselves differently, and, Alex, that's what I love about you. When things get hard, you say what needs to be said, whether other people like it or not."

She couldn't help but be taken in by what he said. But it wasn't just what he said; it was how he said it. He was kind, lovingly saying her name over and over again.

"But what if I need to sound important and intelligent? What if being candid just isn't enough?"

"Don't worry about it. When the time comes, you'll know what to say and how to say it."

"You have a lot of faith in me."

"I do. Because I know it's not just marriage and public speaking that has you so nervous."

Alex thought for a moment. "Well, it's not. It's getting married. It's having a kingdom. It's having my family while starting a new one with you..." She suddenly laughed. "It's almost tiring to list them all!"

Matthew chuckled. "Alex, don't you see? That's precisely what I was talking about. You have charm for miles and you're honest when you need to be. Don't worry about anything, Alex, because two of the things you're nervous about are going to help you through the others. Your family is going to be there for you, no matter what. If you need help, they'll be glad to offer it, just like you'll be glad to help them."

Alex nodded in realization. "You're absolutely right. I don't know why I've been getting myself so worked up."

"Because you're you. And you would die before you disappointed anyone, especially your family. But you forget that they don't care. They love you... _we _love you," he amended, "regardless. Don't ever doubt that."

She sighed; glad he was so supportive of her. "So, when are your parents having our engagement ball?"

"Very soon, if that's alright. Next week, in fact."

"The sooner the better. I'm actually looking forward to it."

He smiled. "Really? Why is that?"

"Do you remember the first ball I attended with you after I came back?"

"How could I forget?"

"It was the most romantic night of my life, simply because we were together, and that's also what I look forward to most when we're married. I _like_ being with you. I love being with you. I love you."

"I remember that night like it was yesterday. I'll never forget how nervous you were, walking down those steps, being stared at by everyone. And yet you were so graceful. But when you reached the landing, and started walking toward me, well, you looked like no one else was there, and I knew from that moment that I was going to love you forever. So, I love you too, and that will never change."

She giggled. "I remember all those boys who wanted to dance with me. I had to put up with a slew of them... but when you cut in, I felt saved."

"Remember all those silly girls who wanted to dance with me? I was going crazy from not being with you. Even then it wasn't easy to be separated in any way."

"We talk about it like it was so long ago. Really, it was only a year – less than that, when you really think about it."

He was thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe love does that. It makes us feel like we've been together forever, but not realize it."

Alex nodded in agreement. "Whatever love does, I'm glad it does it, and I'm glad we're sharing the experience... Well, would you look at that? We're home."

XxX

Alex was having trouble knowing what to pack. She and the family would be leaving the next day. Lincolnshire was a day's journey on a ship away. The next day, after their arrival, would be the day of the ball.

She was excited and nervous – there was that word again, she thought – all at once. Of course, she'd met Matthew's parents, King Adelaide and Queen Camille before; in fact, it had been two months since her last visit. Still, it was odd, meeting them as her future in-laws.

But, she knew, she had no reason to feel awkward around them. They had been friends of the family for a long time, and she too had grown to love them. It seemed to be only natural that she was marrying their son, thus joining the two families.

Presently, there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" she called.

Odette strolled in, smiling, as always. Alex's mood was immediately lightened.

"Packing?" Odette asked, the clothes strewn about the room being all the answer she needed.

"Trying," Alex replied. "It's hard to know what to go with and what to leave behind."

"I think you're just excited."

"I am." She sat down on the bed, forgetting her luggage for a moment. "I really am."

"I'm glad for you, Alex."

"Thank you. That means the world to me."

"Well, don't worry about all this. Just take what you need and everything else will fall into place."

Alex's heart gave a little tug. "I don't think you're talking about only the luggage."

"I'm not. Goodnight, Alex."

"Goodnight, Mother."

XxX

"Seasick yet?" Matthew asked, cheeky, as always.

"Very funny," Alex replied. "And no, I'm not. And I wasn't an hour ago when you asked and I wasn't two months ago the last time we were headed to visit your parents."

"Two out of three women in your family get seasick. It's alright if you do too."

"The rocking doesn't bother me, really. But I'm so excited. I'm ready to get married."

"Well, we have time," he assured her. "Not time to back down, I hope, but time for you to prepare. But you don't need it. I can see that."

They kissed.

"So, what made you suddenly so confident?" he asked.

"Talking to you and my mother and finally understanding that you'll love me regardless."

"I'm glad you know." Presently, he heard someone calling his name. "I'll attend to that and give you a moment alone. I'm glad you're feeling more sure of yourself." He smiled and kissed her cheek and walked away.

"Then why don't I feel as confident as he believes?"

XxX

They arrived about noon the next day. Derek and Adelaide, who had been old friends, since childhood, in fact, were very excited to see each other. They hadn't talked in a long time, save for letters, but that wasn't the same.

Odette was glad to see Camille, who had helped her through her loss when Alex was kidnapped. They had talked a lot, and eventually, Odette came to terms with it, and she was able to raise her family.

Needless to say, Alex was the one they were most excited to see. There were congratulations all around. Both Camille and Adelaide worked very hard to make Alex feel welcome. And she did feel welcome.

Late that night, Matthew found he could not sleep at all. He wandered about his old home, looking for a fellow soul who could not rest. Part of him hoped Alex was awake, and another part hoped she was sleeping, as it would have been better for her.

He sighed, condemning himself to walk alone among the stone hallways for the night.

He found himself strolling his way to the library, a place where his father liked to spend most of his time since he had taken sick. It saddened Matthew to know that in the years after that dreadful fever, his father had never been as vivacious as he once was.

He walked into the library, immediately feeling at home among the books. He passed one of the many shelves and there among the thick, dusty volumes was his father.

"Matthew!" Adelaide called, smiling heartily. "Come over here. Sit for a moment, son."

Matthew obliged. "Father, can we talk?"

"Of course. It's been a while since we have."

"Father, do you think I'll be a good husband for Alex?"

King Adelaide looked at his son for a moment before answering. "You love her, don't you?"

"More than myself."

"And you want to be with her and take care of her and, if needed, protect her, right?"

"Of course. But the question is, can I?"

"What do you mean, son?"

Matthew sighed. "I mean, do I have the ability? Do I have what it takes to keep her safe?"

Adelaide lifted his eyebrows questioningly. "Do you think you'll need it? Why so grave?"

"It's just that... Forgive me for saying this, but Alex, through no fault of her own, attracts trouble. She's too brave for her own good sometimes, and though that is one of the many reasons I love her, I just worry that I won't be able to look after her."

"And how much looking after do you think she needs, Matthew? It's true that, as a husband, it will be your responsibility to make sure Alex is safe and taken care of. However, she can do it on her own, and has been doing so for the past thirteen years. Don't insult her ability by assuming that she needs the protection she can give herself."

Matthew blushed, feeling a little guilty. It was hard for him to not forget what Alex had been through. She never talked about it. But then again, that was hardly an excuse. He had to keep it in mind.

As he thought about it, he realized that it explained her fear of disappointed – and subsequently losing – her family. After being without them for so long, she simply did not want to go back to being a lonely orphan.

After saying this aloud, Matthew watched his father nod in approval. "Now that's the type of thinking you should be doing. That's how you can make her happy; by understanding – or at least trying to understand; she'll be thankful for that – how she feels and the way she thinks."

"And what about her? Does she understand how I feel?"

"Women almost always do. If she wasn't concerned with your feelings, she wouldn't be so nervous."

Matthew was a little surprised by his father. "How did you know she was nervous?"

"It's plain to see. She wants to keep everyone happy, and she is so worried about messing things up that her face is an open book to those emotions."

Matthew nodded, smiling a bit. "I suppose she is somewhat obvious about it. What can I do for her?"

"Just show her that you support her, and you'll be there for her regardless of how bad things get. Both of you need to learn confidence. Whatever happens, you can handle it together."

Matthew stood up, at peace enough to finally go to sleep. "I think I'll go to bed now. Thank you, Father."

"My pleasure, son. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Matthew left the library thoughtful, yet peaceful. He was glad to have such a show of support from his father, even if the two didn't see each other as much as they probably should have, with Matthew spending all his time at Swan Lake with Alex.

As he walked back to his room, he took a detour through the hallway where Alex's room was located. As he passed by her door, he stopped, and laid his hand on the door. He closed his eyes, thinking of how she was probably sleeping soundly within.

"I love you," he whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, the castle was abuzz with preparations for the ball that was to be held that night. Everywhere Alex walked, she could hear people, even those in her family, namely Joan and Eli, talking animatedly about the ball.

As for Alex herself, she wasn't totally sure how she felt. It was difficult to feel one way or another about the ball. On one hand, she didn't like the hectic activity of royal balls; it was uncomfortable, it was impersonal. However, as she had said before, she did look forward to spending the night with Matthew, and since they were engaged, she wouldn't have to deal with impertinent princes.

And so she waited. The day seemed to drag on endlessly until, finally, guests began to arrive. That was her cue to start getting ready.

She stepped into her red gown, having decided that she didn't want to change anything from the first ball she attended. Matthew, she knew, was all for sentimentality, and he wouldn't have wanted anything to change.

This time, they met each other outside the ballroom, as they would be entering together, as a couple.

The smile Matthew gave her when they saw each other could have lit up the entire ballroom. He walked briskly over to her, closing the ten feet between them. He kissed her deeply and she returned it, matching his passion.

"You look radiant," he whispered when they finished. He brushed a few stray hairs that had gotten in her face, his finger tips lingering on her cheek. She pressed her hand on top of his, holding it there, feeling the skin of his palm. He maneuvered his hand so that hers was in his. He brought her hand to his mouth and gently kissed her knuckles. He offered him arm to her. "Shall we, love?"

She smiled, taking it. "I'm ready."

Together, they entered the ballroom and were announced by a squire.

"Now arriving: Prince Matthew of Lincolnshire and Princess Alexandra of Chamburg."

There was an applaud and congratulatory shouts from everyone in attendance. As they walked among the guests, they received pats on the back. Politely, they thanked the guests and continued their trek – made difficult by the throng of people that surrounded them – to the dance floor, where most of their happiness seemed to take place on nights like this.

And so they danced. It seemed like forever that they could look into each others' eyes the way they were.

Adelaide and Camille walked over to Derek and Odette, who were content with watching their children dance.

"They seem to be enjoying themselves," Adelaide noted.

"They're enjoying each other," Derek laughed.

"They'll certainly be happy together," Camille said.

"They really will," Odette agreed, watching them, glad for their happiness. It reminded her of the way she felt about Derek. As if reading her thoughts, he slid his hand into hers. In turn she kissed him on the cheek. "I love you."

XxX

In the middle of the dance floor, Alex and Matthew had to stop for a moment. They were smiling, but a little tired. Since their first ball, Matthew and Alex had learned many dances other than the waltz and they were eager to show off their moves.

Nearby, Alex could see Joan struggling with a few of the male guests – some of them about seventeen, which did not please Alex at all – who were hassling her.

"Excuse me," she said to Matthew, smiling. "I have to go save my sister."

She dodged a few more attendees and made it to her sister, who was running out of options. More accurately, she was running out of way to politely say no.

"Joan," Alex said, acting completely serious, "Mother and Father want to see you." When Alex's eyes happened to scan over the group of boys – some of them men – she saw one young man, who was actually Joan's age, who seemed to be a little upset that Alex was pulling Joan away. Alex smiled at him as discretely as she could, trying to silently let him know that Joan would be back soon. He got the message and smiled back.

Joan blushed brightly. "Coming, Alex." Quickly, she followed behind Alex, who was leading her away into a more empty corner of the ballroom.

"What are you doing?" Joan asked, realizing that it was just a ruse.

Alex started to laugh. "I was saving you. I hope you don't mind. You seemed to be having trouble."

Joan groaned. "Some of those 'proper gentlemen' can be such pigs, Alex."

"I know. Just wait for a few minutes. They'll get distracted and they won't bother you anymore. Hey, who was the boy who looked so hurt when he heard you had to go? He seemed nice."

"Oh, he is. He's from Chamburg. He's a squire. Aurelio, I think his name is."

"Don't worry. He'll be waiting for you."

As the words came out of her mouth, Alex could see Odette walking over to them.

"Something wrong, girls?" she asked.

"Joan just needed to get away from her admirers," Alex snickered. She laughed harder when Joan sent her a warning glance. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Odette smiled. "She's only kidding, Joan. And don't worry; it happens to all of us."

"Some of them were about seventeen," Alex whispered.

"Then I'm glad you got her out of there… Eli doesn't seem to be enjoying himself."

"Probably because he misses Alex's friend," Joan guessed. Alex had told her everything about Eli and Mireia's meeting.

Odette was confused for a moment. "What?"

Alex grinned. "Eli and Mireia met, and I'm pretty sure it was love at first sight."

Odette smiled and shook her head. "Poor Eli. Well, I'd better get back to your father. Have a good time and stay out of trouble… both of you." She eyed Alex for a moment and walked off, laughing a little bit.

Joan and Alex talked for a few more minutes, waiting for some of the excitement to die down. As the night had wore on, people became more settled, mingling quietly instead of celebrating loudly. Soon after Joan insisted that she would be alright on her own, Alex left her.

She made her way past the small groups of people. And then, an unfamiliar voice, which she was more than sure was directed at her, stopped her.

"Congratulations," it purred. It was a deep, raspy male voice.

Alex turned around to see who was speaking. The man she saw was not one she knew. He was tall, with a thick chest and a head of dark red hair. She smiled nervously at him. "Thank you."

"I am Lord Dominic of Lincolnshire. Perhaps you would honor me with a dance before you are happily wedded?" He smiled mischievously.

Alex, finding herself in the same position Joan had been in a few minutes earlier. "Well…" She couldn't think of a polite way to decline and walk away without hurting the man's feelings. "Alright."

They joined hands and danced, Alex as far away from him as she could get while still technically doing a waltz. It looked terrible, but she wasn't exactly worried about that. She was extremely uncomfortable, and the interrogation the man was giving her was making her even more nervous.

"When did he ask?"

Alex was shocked at how straight forward he was. "Well… about a month ago."

"And how?"

"We were on a walk and he just sort of asked…"

"Plan on having children?"

Alex was growing more uncomfortable by the second. "Well, uh, someday, I suppose."

"Do you feel safe with him?"

Now that one was taking things too far. She was only too glad that the song was over. She pulled back her hands and inclined her head. Her answer was sharp. "Why wouldn't I? Anyway, I'd better be getting back. He'll be wondering where I am."

He let her go, a smug look on his face. It was as if he purposely put her through that discomfort. The thought crossed her mind.

Even as she worked her way through the ballroom, she felt like she was being followed. She had the feeling of being watched, and she was sure Dominic's eyes were on her. She shivered, despite how warm the room was.

Feeling like she would suffocate if she didn't get out, she made her way outside, where there was a spacious garden among high hedges that were just short enough to give a perfect view of the full moon. Taking a moment to calm herself, she inhaled deeply, over and over again. She sat down on a bench that was along the path, looking up at the stars, calmed.

Her heartbeat began to quicken again when she heard footsteps from behind her. She stood up and whirled around, ready to tell Dominic to back off.

But it was only Matthew.

Only Matthew? Had she really thought that? It was _Matthew_!

She was glad to see him, more than he could ever know, at that moment. However, he looked confused and concerned, as he had caught the look on her face. "Something wrong, Alex?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just needed some air."

"Alex… Please, tell me," he pressed.

She explained what had happened. Matthew, enraged, looked back toward the ballroom, as if he were about to go back in and find Dominic.

But Alex caught his shoulder. "Stay," she whispered.

With one word, his attention was fully on her.

He couldn't stop thinking of how beautiful she was – not just on that night, but every night, and not just regarding her physical appearance, but her personality as well. He could do naught but stare at her face, which was cast beautifully in the moonlight. He didn't blink for as long as he could manage, trying to commit her perfection to memory.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, suddenly self conscious.

"You," he said, his voice barely a whisper, as he leaned in, his forehead touching hers for a second, his eyes closed in concentration.

Catching his drift, Alex too leaned in.

They kissed for what seemed like – or what they wished was –an eternity.

Matthew pulled back, staring into her eyes again. "Do you still need air?" he asked.

She laughed. "More now than ever. Thank you for coming out here."

"Well, I saw you rush out, and I knew something had upset you. I would be remiss if I would allow you to suffer."

She smiled. "I appreciate that."

He took her hand, squeezing it lightly before bringing it to his lips and, again, kissing her knuckles. "I love you."

He let go of her hand and, subconsciously, she caressed it with the other, savoring the moment. "Not as I love you."

He grinned. "I doubt that… Well, we'd better be getting back before people start looking for us. Are you ready?" He stood up, offering his arm again.

Alex hesitated. True, she did want to get back and enjoy the rest of the night with Matthew, but she dreaded the thought of seeing Dominic. There was something profoundly wrong about him, and the worse part was that she couldn't even understand why she felt that way, let alone explain it to Matthew.

But why should he get to spoil her night?

Collecting herself, she looked up at Matthew, stood up, and took his arm, kissing him on the cheek when she had done so. "You go ahead. I'll be there soon," she promised.

He nodded understandingly. "Until then." He kissed her again, deeply. She slid her hand to the back of his head, entwining her fingers in his dark hair. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close to him as possible.

They let up after almost a minute. Matthew smiled at her as he slowly walked away, not turning away until he absolutely had to.

Alex watched him go. When he was out of sight, she sighed and sat back down on the bench, thinking. He was almost too perfect. She wished she could be at his side, with no one else around, forever. But, alas, there was a party – in their honor, no less – waiting. She stood up and started heading back.

Again, she heard footsteps behind her. But this time, she was absolutely sure they were not Matthew's; he was already inside, waiting for her.

She whipped around, again ready to confront whoever was following her. This time, it really was Dominic.

"My, aren't you two a cute couple. Sneaking out here all alone? Naughty, naughty." His tone was implicative . Alex became more annoyed with him than she had been.

"What do you want, Dominic?" she demanded.

"Oh, calm down, princess. I was merely jesting."

She glared at him. "Next time you tell a joke, make sure it's funny."

He smirked, continuing his thought. He began to move closer to her."If I were to take you out here, in such a romantic light, I would skip the small talk and…"

Before she could stop him, he was, to her horror, kissing her. Her eyes were wide open in shock as his were closed and his lips locked onto her unwilling ones.

As soon as she could think clearly again, which couldn't have been more than a second later, she backed up. Again, he was smug. Unable to contain her anger, she slapped him in the face, and a satisfying 'thwack' resonated around the garden.

She was glad – for his sake, really – that Matthew hadn't seen that.

"I think you forget that I am engaged!" she yelled, enraged. "You are not my fiancé, and I am not, nor will I ever be, yours."

"I was merely demonstrating-"

"Get away from me," she growled, interrupting him. "And stay away." She turned on her heal, briskly walking away, trying to decide whether or not to tell Matthew what had just happened.

"As you wish, princess," he said under his breath. "But you're wrong. And you'll be finding that out soon enough. I _will_ make you mine."


	5. Chapter 5

Alex returned to the ballroom in a rage. She was still having a hard time believing what had just happened. Several people, seeing the look on her face, which was carefully composed, but still showing anger, backed out of the way as she passed and exited the ballroom through the doors she and Matthew had entered earlier.

This time, it was Odette who saw her leave. She followed Alex out and into the hallway.

"Alex, what happened?"

For a moment Alex didn't speak. She could not find the words to say what had just taken place outside in the garden.

"Alex?" she pressed.

"He kissed me…" she whispered.

"What?"

"He kissed me!" Alex repeated, louder this time. "He kissed me!"

Odette was stunned and confused for a moment. "Who, Alex? Did you and Matthew have a fight?"

"No, no. Nothing like that…" Alex calmed herself, clearing her mind so that she could better explain what was going on. As calmly as she could, she explained all about Dominic, as she had done for Matthew earlier. "And, just a minute or two after Matthew went inside, _he _appeared. He started implying things about why Matthew and I were outside alone, and then he kissed me… on the lips."

Odette couldn't stifle her gasp. "He didn't!"

"He did!"

"That's awful!"

"I know!" Alex agreed adamantly. She ran her fingers through her hair, breathing deeply, trying to calm herself again.

"What are you going to do?" Odette asked.

"I don't know. I don't want to make a scene and I really don't want to tell Matthew. It would only upset him. I mean, it was a kiss. On one hand, I'm not physically harmed, on the other… Matthew would go crazy. Anyway, Dominic's from here, not Chamburg, so I won't see him for a long time, if ever again, and if he starts following me around again tonight, I'll have a guard take care of him."

"Are you sure? What if he's dangerous?"

"Dangerous?"

"You never know, Alex…"

She thought on that for a moment. "I can handle him. I promise."

"Alex…" Odette was hesitant to let her go. It was hard to watch Alex make what could be a big mistake.

But Alex couldn't hear her. She was already heading back inside and Odette had spoken too late.

Alex met Matthew off to the side of the dance floor, where he was talking to a few other people.

He smiled widely as she walked over, immediately forgetting about his friends. He closed the space between them, leaving the others behind. "I've been waiting for you. Where have you been?"

"I was talking to my mother for a moment."

There was something in her tone – thought she had tried to hide her discomfort – that immediately put Matthew on edge. "About what, may I ask? Alex, love, is there something wrong?" He suspected Dominic had something to do with whatever it was that had upset her.

"Nothing worth worrying about," she assured him, luring him onto the dance floor – a slow song had just begun to play and she wanted to distract him. She did not want him to know what had happened outside after he left her.

"Alex," he pressed, knowing what she was trying to do. Part of him wanted to find out what was wrong, to protect her, if needed. But he remembered what his father had said about insulting her ability by trying to protect her when she didn't need it. He sighed. He also knew that Alex didn't want to dwell on the subject, whatever it was. So, he would drop it. He decided to let it go, for her happiness.

But that didn't stop him from keeping a close eye on her for the rest of the night.

XxX

The ball ended a few long hours later. Alex, with great effort, had managed to but Dominic's kiss from her mind and enjoy the rest of her time with Matthew. She seemed successful in her attempt to keep his mind off of anything that would be bothering her – he didn't ask any more questions on the subject for the rest of the night.

Finally, when all the guests had gone, Alex made her way up to her room.

After changing as quickly as she could, she collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. She didn't especially like to keep up the façade that everything was alright when it clearly wasn't, but she was sure she would have liked it less if Matthew had found out. She didn't fear his jealousy; she knew he trusted. But she did want to avoid a scene.

Truly, the kiss didn't harm her – as she had said to her mother. But it did seem to intensify the feeling that there was definitely something wrong with Lord Dominic – she wondered if he was really even a lord at all, but that was a question for another time.

She was glad that she had slapped him. She was pretty sure that it stung. Thinking back on his face, his cheek was fairly red with a palm print.

She heard a quiet knock at her door. Quickly, she found a shawl and wrapped it around her, thinking it might be Matthew back to ask her what was wrong; she hoped it wasn't. She had been what could be viewed as lying all night to him and she wasn't sure she could keep it up much longer.

She opened he door hesitantly, and was glad to see that it was only Joan, who looked very excited about something.

"Joan? What's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter," Joan replied happily. "Or at least not in a bad way… May I come in?"

Alex yawned, really not in the mood to hear what her younger sister had to say – her happiness seemed to clash with Alex's guilt – but she didn't want to turn Joan away. "Sure."

Joan bounded into the room, practically jumping up and down in her excitement. "Aurelio – you know, the boy who I was talking to earlier? – is going to Chamburg soon, and I'll be able to see him again."

Alex laughed, allowing herself to be caught up in Joan's merry mood. "You've only been separated for an hour or so. Why are you so excited?"

"Because, Alex, he's… he's amazing. He's smart and exciting and kind and polite… He's just… wow."

Alex was in agreement. She had to admit that, once she got to know him, she had described Matthew in nearly the same words. "That special, huh?"

"And more! He's wonderful."

Alex was truly happy for Joan. When she had first returned, Joan was forgotten about. She had been living with a brother who ignored her as well as being in the shadow of her kidnapped older sister. As she thought about it, Alex knew it couldn't have been easy for her. Seeing her sister so outgoing – so much like herself, she admitted – was gladdening.

They talked for awhile longer, until neither one of them was able to speak a sentence without yawning. They took this as a cue for them to go to sleep and they heeded it. Joan left and crept back to her own room.

Alex, alone, went to her bed and slid into it, pulling the thick quilt tightly over her. She didn't really like being away from home. Nothing was familiar. Granted, Matthew's parents had been gracious hosts, but she was glad that she would be going home the next day.

In the silence, without Joan's words to distract her, Alex felt like she was being watched. But it wasn't like something she had ever felt before – the normal feeling of knowing there were eyes on her. It was like her thoughts themselves were being intruded on.

She tried to ignore the eerie feeling, but it would not pass. She tossed and turned, trying to somehow shake it, but it would not relent.

Finally, she fell into a frustrated sleep, lulled by her exhaustion and her hope that she would never see Dominic again.

XxX

At the same time Alex was falling asleep with those thoughts in her head, someone was laughing at her expense.

"You'll be seeing a lot of me, princess."

It was Dominic. And he was inside her mind.

But of course she didn't notice; he was concealing himself in her thoughts, assimilating himself into them. He smiled darkly.

"I don't understand," a voice broke through his thoughts. "How are you able to read her thoughts when you cannot read mine?"

Dominic turned to the man who spoke, a long time friend and fool, Rokus. "It's the spell I cast on her when I kissed her. I'm connected to her every thought, so long as the sun is down. By night, my will becomes her command. I am in control of her."

"And why is it so important that you control this girl?"

"Because she is the key to doing what my father couldn't. Twenty years ago, he tried to marry her mother. And he failed when her father killed him. To this day, Derek and Odette, the woman my father wanted to wed, tell the story to their children, Alex being the oldest of them."

"And you want to do what your father couldn't? To surpass him?"

"I not only want to surpass him. I want to prove him completely inferior. And when I do, I'll have the kingdom and I'll have her."

"And I'll have…?"

"Whatever rewards I see fit. And if you help me, they will be rich. Title, power… whatever you like."

Rokus smiled greedily. "Count me in."

"Good. Your first task is to procure a ship that we may use to travel to Chamburg. The princess is going home tomorrow, and we will not miss a night."

"What will you do on the night she is on her ship? There is virtually no way to get to her."

"Leave that to me. Now go. Find a ship that is departing tomorrow, the sooner, the better."

Rokus left Dominic alone. While he was able to concentrate, he worked his way into Alex's dreams, making sure his face wasn't one she was likely to forget.

XxX

Alex awoke the next morning relieved that she was awake. She'd had nightmares all through the night, most of the about Dominic. She acknowledged that she was beginning to eat her own words. She wondered if she should have heeded Odette's warning. Perhaps Dominic really was dangerous.

"But those dreams mean nothing," she said to herself, trying to believe her own words.

After a while, she was able to convince herself – if only partially – that the nightmares were meaningless. She was again happy to be going home, where she felt safe and private in her own room.

Tiredly, she packed. It was quicker this time, as she wasn't worried about what to bring. Finally, when she had everything together, she exited the room she had been using, glad that she would not be returning to it that night.

Soon, it was time to say goodbye. There were sad faces all around – even from Alex, who enjoyed meeting Matthew's parents. They were so kind. She even felt a little bad because she knew Matthew didn't like to leave them. They had discussed where they would live after they were married, and Matthew had insisted they stay nearby Derek and Odette, since Alex had already missed twelve years with them; he didn't want her to be estranged from them again.

She admired his sacrifice.

"We'll see you at the wedding," Camille said.

"Of course," Alex replied. "I look forward to it."

"For more reasons than seeing us, I'm sure," Adelaide cut in, laughing a bit.

Finally, it was time to leave. As they stood on the deck of the ship, Alex and Matthew watched as his home faded into the distance.

XxX

A few hours later, Alex found that she did want to talk about Dominic. She had a strange sense of foreboding about him sense she had dreamed about him.

She certainly didn't want to talk to Matthew. It would only worry him, and she knew he didn't need that, with the stress – she knew he had to be feeling some of it, anyhow – of getting married soon.

"Where's mother?" she asked Eli when she had a moment.

"Below deck, hiding in her cabin as usual," he replied.

"As usual?" She hadn't noticed that her mother wasn't around on the way to Lincolnshire, but then again, she hadn't noticed much other than Matthew.

"She gets seasick. Joan does too."

"Well, that's perfect," Alex muttered sarcastically. "I needed to talk to her."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed someone to talk to."

"Talk to me, Alex. I'm your brother, remember? I should be able to help in some small way."

"You're right. Here it goes."

She told him everything, right down to her dreams the night before. He listened intently and promised not to breathe a word of it to Matthew.

"Alex, I agree with you. There is something wrong with him. If he ever shows up again, let someone know."

"You're very protective this morning," she noted.

"You're my sister," he replied. "And we've lost you once already, and we don't want to go through it again."

Alex watched him walk away, leaving her to her thoughts. She knew that it was no coincidence that he ended up in her dreams. Something happened that night in the garden, something she had to know before anyone else.

She suddenly felt as if she was in extreme danger.

"Probably because I am…"


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as she stepped out of the carriage and onto the grounds of the castle at Swan Lake, Alex felt immediately better. It was good to be among familiar things with people she knew. She liked to walk among the stone walls of the castle that she knew so well.

When she was in her room, all those fears from the days before were forgotten about. The night before hadn't been so bad. Even while on a rocking ship, she managed to get a good night's sleep, free of nightmares concerning Dominic, who she had no fear of seeing again, reassured by his absence from her dreams.

She put her luggage on the bed – she would worry about it later – and crossed the room. She looked out the window that was placed there, glad to see the lake shining so clearly in the midday sun.

It all represented what was good about being home. The sheer beauty of the place reminded her of what she missed not just in the days she spent in Lincolnshire, but in the years she was separated from Swan Lake and her family.

Deciding that she didn't want to be a hermit, she left her room and looked for some company, namely Matthew, who she knew would need some comforting. After all, he had chosen to go home with her rather than stay in Lincolnshire with his family.

It didn't take long for her to find him. He was alone among the trees at their favorite spot on the Shore of Swan Lake. He stood with his back to Alex – unintentionally, of course – his hands folded behind his back. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Alex wondered if he was missing his home as she had missed hers. She silently walked up beside him, trying to think of words that would lighten his pensive mood.

He unclasped his hands and slid his arm around her waist, drawing her closer, kissing the top of her head. She shivered. It felt good to know she was this loved. In return, she stood on her toes and landed a kiss on his cheek.

He was no longer able to not look at her. He met her eyes and stared into them for a moment before kissing her. He brought his hands up to her cheeks, gently holding her face. She did the same.

They broke off soon. The lack of oxygen was an unfortunate part of kissing so deeply, they both had to admit.

"I'm glad to see you," he said, serious.

"I haven't been far away from you," she reminded him.

"Yes, but you were so scarce on the ship. I was worried about you."

"I know. I'm so sorry for upsetting you."

"It's alright, Alex. But you do seem to be feeling better."

"I guess I was just a little homesick."

He nodded in understanding.

"And speaking of homesick," she said. "I'm also sorry that you had to leave Lincolnshire."

"Don't be. I did it for you because I love you. I know you don't like to be away from here for very long."

"It's hard sometimes, but it must be worse for you."

"I didn't miss twelve years of my life with my parents," he said gently. "Don't be so considerate of me."

She laughed a little. "It's awfully hard, considering you're so good to me."

He smiled. "Let's walk."

Just as he always did, he offered his arm out to her, and just as she always did, she accepted it.

They strolled in silence for a little while before Alex spoke. "May I ask what was on your mind earlier?"

"You."

She looked at him questioningly. He didn't answer in his normally dreamy, romantic voice. He was being completely serious, and Alex wasn't sure she was going to like where the conversation was undoubtedly leading.

"I was really worried about you, love."

Her eyes sank down, ashamed of herself. "I'm so sorry. And I know I can't apologize enough for putting you through that."

"You really can't," he admitted quietly. "But you _can _tell me what happened."

She sighed. "I owe it to you… When I was alone in the garden the night of the ball, after you went inside to wait for me, he came out of nowhere. I think he'd been watching us the entire time. Anyway, when he started to talk to me, he was insinuating that we were acting improperly and before I knew what to do, he walked up to me and… kissed me."

Matthew looked away, a grimace etched on his face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He looked back at her, his face lightened in concern. "No, don't be sorry. This was not your fault. He did this… It only upsets me that your were alone with him, and you could have been hurt."

"But I hid it from you. And that wasn't right."

"I know you feel guilty about that. But you did what you thought was right and I'm not angry about that. I could never be angry with you for something _he_ did." He put his arms protectively around her, locking her in his warm embrace. "I love you far too much for that."

Alex couldn't help but shed a tear. "I shouldn't have kept it from you. You had a right to know."

"You did what was best. I don't know how I would have reacted if you would have told me at the ball. So I'm glad you waited. Really, I'm grateful for that."

He hugged her tighter.

This is what he meant when he was talking to his father. Alex found trouble easily. Secretly, he wished she had told him sooner. He would have had Dominic taken care of, although he wasn't exactly sure what he would do to punish the man.

However, he was sure that Dominic would not show up again. They were in a different kingdom and Dominic probably didn't have the means to contact Alex again. Besides that, he would keep her safe. He vowed he would keep Dominic away from Alex.

He didn't let Alex go for a long time.

XxX

Feeling secure in Matthew's silent promise to keep her safe from harm conveyed only by his protective embrace, Alex went to bed that night feeling quite safe.

As she said her goodnights, she felt a strange pull. She didn't understand it at first, but she felt a sense of dread about it.

A few minutes later, the pull was stronger. It was like a signal telling her to go somewhere. It was difficult not to heed.

It was soon joined by and ominous voice in her head. "Come to me."

The voice was familiar, and yet Alex couldn't place it. But it was getting more demanding by the moment.

"Come to me!" it roared.

Alex felt sick to her stomach. She knew she had to follow the voice. Glad she hadn't changed yet, she managed to sneak out of the castle and to the stable. She felt her stomach clench in nausea every moment she stayed on the castle grounds.

Finally, when she had saddled up her horse, she was off, riding as fast as the horse would go to meet the voice that called her. Her sickness relented and before she had even reached her destination, she was feeling back to normal, save for the intense feeling of dread that was absolutely emanating off of her.

"Faster!"

Alex, for fear of getting sick again, obliged. A few moments later, the voice returned.

"Now stop! Dismount and walk the rest of the way."

She did so, moving at a fast pace.

She did not recognize the part of the forest that she walked through. After passing a few more dark oak trees, she came upon a ramshackle barn. It was not well kempt, and looked close to collapsing, but she knew she had to go into it. Swallowing her fear, she passed through the large doors and stood among the piles of hay.

There, standing above her on the loft, was the source of the voice.

Dominic.

"You!"

Alex could find no other words to express her surprise. She didn't even know how she made it there. But she did know that he had something to do with it, and he was planning something sinister.

XxX

Matthew simply could not sleep that night. He found it vaguely funny that Alex seemed to be in a better mood and then it was he who couldn't be at peace. He had no idea what was aggrieving him. The feeling seemed to be transferring from one person to another.

Unable to contain himself in his room, he got dressed and walked around the castle. He came upon the wing where Alex's room was. Putting his ear to the door, he could hear no sounds of breathing. Gathering up his courage, lest he be caught, he opened the door and peered inside.

The room was empty. His heart jumped, skipping a beat before he could calm himself.

It was not unlike Alex to get restless in the night and go for a walk, he reminded himself. She was, he had been told, like her mother in that they enjoyed the night. It was a time of peace and Alex and her mother liked to be among it.

He took a deep breath, comforted. He couldn't really bring himself to truly believe that nothing was wrong, and yet the logical part of his mind did not want to jump to conclusions without proof. He decided that he was merely being paranoid and overprotective.

He sighed and ambled back to his room, suddenly very tired.

XxX

Alex glared up at the man who had caused her so much trouble on what was supposed to be a romantic night for her and Matthew.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. She found the question slightly ironic; she had no idea what _she _was doing there.

"I brought you here. Listen closely, because I'm only going to explain this once. I have brought you here to ask a question: Will you marry me?"

Alex gasped, appalled. "No! Of course not!"

Dominic smiled. "I thought you might say that. So now I'm going to explain why I ask; Twenty years ago, your mother refused an offer to get married. That offer was from my father, The Enchanter Rothbart."

Alex glared at him. "You… you're the son of that man!?"

"Very logical, Princess. My father wasn't celibate. He wanted to make sure he had someone to… carry on the tradition."

Alex was silent. Who was this man's mother? What if… what if Rothbart had…?

"Wipe that look off your face. I assure you, you mother bore no children prior to you. Although my abilities hide it, I am much older than you."

"What do you mean 'abilities'?"

"Control over The Forbidden Arts, of course."

"Wrong answer. My father burned those notes a long time ago."

"It wouldn't have down him any good unless someone else was after them."

Alex's mind involuntarily flew to the story of how Zelda had nearly killed her mother after her father brought her the notes on The Forbidden Arts to the enchantress; the story was made much more real when Zelda kidnapped Alex about six years later and, after twelve years of being in an orphanage and then being reunited with her family, Alex had to face her again. She won, but only narrowly.

Dominic's face lit up with a sly smile. "Someone _was _after them, weren't they?"

Alex's eyes widened. She was sure she hadn't spoken a word about it. "How did you know that?"

"Just another ability. You see, that kiss wasn't just me making a move on you – although I quite enjoyed it – it was a spell. By night, everything you have is mine; your thoughts, your actions, yourself in general. How do you think I brought you here?"

"Then you know what I'm thinking right now?" she asked, a sarcastic smirk on her face.

"That's not very ladylike."

"Neither is being out here alone with a man I have no intention of marrying. By the way, when I tell the world what you really are, you can kiss whatever goal you think you'll achieve by marrying me goodbye."

"You won't tell a soul. And here's why; I will know if you tell anyone. Even if you tell them when the sun is up, I will know that night, and you can kiss your loving life goodbye."

"I'm not scared of dying. I'd do just about anything to make sure people like you don't get away with your plots."

"I didn't mean I'd kill you. What would be the point in that? No, I mean your family. All of them. Derek, Odette, Eli, Joan… and Matthew."

Alex tried unsuccessfully to stifle a gasp. Losing any one of them – let alone all four of them – would be much worse than dying, especially since she had just gotten them back.

"So we're in agreement? By night, you will come here, without hesitation. I don't care what lies or excuses you have to make up. Just get here. And if you utter a single word about me, your family is dead."

With a heavy heart, Alex could only find one word to speak.

"Agreed."

**Sorry this took so long to update. Between home, school, and basketball, I've been a little busy. But, enough excuses. I'll post Chapter 7 ASAP. Thanks for your patience, and thanks for reading! (One more favor; would you be so kind as to review? Please? Thanks again!) **


	7. Chapter 7

They were both silent for a long time, Dominic in contemptible pride and Alex in shock. She wondered what would be the repercussions for what she had just done. She knew she would regret it in the long run, but if it meant she could keep her family safe, it was certainly worth it.

On the other hand, she knew she was going to have to count on someone else to help her out of this mess, something she never thought she'd do.

It was ironic, really.

She thought back on one late night in the orphanage, when Mireia had stayed up to read to the younger children. There was a storm outside, and no one could sleep. The story was some fairytale about a hero rescuing a damsel in distress. The name and plot of the story didn't really matter, but it was what Alex had said that made things so sardonic now.

_"How can this girl just wait on the knight to save her?" Alex had asked._

_"Because he loves her," Mireia replied patiently. "And she's depending on him."_

_Alex rolled her eyes cynically. "A person can't just rely on the goodness of others. If you want to be saved, you have to save yourself."_

_"How can you say that, Alex?"_

_"Because I don't trust anyone but myself."_

Had she really said that? It was years ago, literally. She was young, sarcastic, and selfish. An introvert in nearly every way. Things regarding other people didn't matter to her most of the time. Her thoughts were usually about her frustration over her ever increasing headaches. It had all taken place about the time when people started to realize that she was out of place among the orphans.

And now, she knew she was in deep trouble, and she finally understood the feeling of being helpless. She had never truly known despair before.

"Oh come now," Dominic soothed falsely, pulling her mind back to the moment at hand. "You may come to find my company enjoyable."

"As compared to my entire family being dead," she replied bitterly. "I imagine so."

"Don't tell me about dead parents, girl. Yours are still alive – despite your blundering father. Need I remind you that it was he who killed my father?"

"Do you really miss a man who would be so selfish as to try and force a woman to marry him just to gain control of her father's kingdom? Actually, I suppose you _would _miss your role model."

"Please, I have more than just one reason for wanting to marry you."

"And those reasons are…?"

He laughed. "First off – and my father never mentioned this reason, though I can't imagine why – I get one of the most gorgeous eligible women in the world."

"I am _not _eligible," she growled. "I am _engaged._"

"Until I see a ring on your finger that isn't mine, you're still eligible to _me_. My second reason is that I'll be able to call myself greater than my father. And third, yes, I will get control of the kingdom, which is bigger since my father failed and your mother and father married, which joined the two kingdoms. I'd say the prize is great.

"And let's not forget what you'll get. The safety of knowing that you will be married to the most powerful man in the world – and I promise, no one will ever get to you – and knowing that your family will live their life to the fullest with no interference from me."

Alex glared at him. "And what about Matthew and me? What are we supposed to do?"

"I really don't care, because if he gets near you while we are married – and we will be married, one way or the other – I will have him killed on the spot, something he should have done to me."

"He's not cruel like you. He'd never hurt another person for no reason."

"He's weak. That's all."

"That's not what I said!"

He laughed hollowly. "But it is the truth. Why should he be allowed to marry you if he isn't going to protect you? At least your father went looking for your mother when she was kidnapped."

She decided to turn the tables by firing off questions of her own. "How do you know so much about that story? Even I don't have all the information."

"You don't have all the information because you're too sheltered and your parents would rather not make you live with the burden of that knowledge. I know because I watched most of it. I was born the year my father was banished by King William, another weak man who didn't act when he should have, luckily for me. My father settled in Lincolnshire and found a rather unintelligent woman in a village close to the border and married her.

"He married her and I became the only son of the wayward sorcerer and the village idiot. Fortunately, I seem to have inherited my father's intelligence and mannerisms. By day, he would work with that fool, Clavius, and by night he would come home and pretend to be a family man. When my mother died, I was aged seven and he began to teach me how to use magic to my advantage. I soon had free run of the entire village. I retain every bit of knowledge of The Forbidden Arts that my father had.

"Anyway, as the years progressed, my father began to realize the full extent of Clavius' ineptitude, and soon he threatened to expose the man's witchcraft if he did not hand over all work on The Forbidden Arts. Later, he met Zelda, a desperate woman who was nothing more than a spinster who needed someone to take her in and look after her. My father did so and soon found out that she had a natural knack for using magic. With her, he completed his work on The Arts and set off to find the Good King William's daughter, determined to marry her.

"And then came the part that you already know. It was a saga that lasted the entire summer, and, in the shadows, I watched it all unfold. Everything. I can assure you, I did nothing to interfere. I merely watched as my father landed on his face when that pretty boy, Prince Derek killed him."

It was strange for Alex to hear such a negative spin on the story. All the background information was overwhelming. Hearing her father being called 'Prince' was foreign to her ears; he had always been 'King,' as far as her memory went, and to her, he was 'Father.'

That, coupled with the slight sympathy for Rothbart, who was made out to be the protagonist of the story, made the tale completely different.

But Alex knew better than to identify with Rothbart in any way. He was bad news all around, a murderer and a kidnapper. "What a shame that my father eliminated one of the most evil men on Earth."

Dominic rolled his eyes. "He got in a lucky shot."

"Fair enough, but he still won. Luck or not, your father is dead, and mine is alive."

"He won't be for very much longer if you don't learn to hold your tongue."

Alex was quiet for a moment. She wondered if she should press him on the matter, but she didn't want to risk her father's life over her own pride in him. There was another first. She would have to be submissive. No one had ever been able to tell her what to do, but now she would have to lay her stubbornness aside for her family's sake.

"You have a mind of your own, Princess, I'll give you that much," he commended. Alex wasn't sure if he was being facetious or not. "And now, my dear, the sun will soon rise, and it is time for you to go home."

Alex couldn't help but be thankful that she was finally getting away – at least for a little while.

"Leave the way you came," Dominic instructed. "My assistant will have your horse ready for you. Go straight home and remember my warning. You will be back tonight, don't forget. I would make preparations if I was you."

Without looking back, Alex turned on her heel and left. Everything was cast in a pale-grey, predawn light. It would have been beautiful, had it not been for the reason she was out so early.

After walking for about three minutes, she could see a burly looking man holding her horse's reigns.

She took the reigns from the man without thanking him – he had a hand in her misery; why should she express any pleasantry to him? – and rode off. The horse was much less spooked and Alex felt she was in no danger of being thrown from the saddle, as she did last night. But she knew she had to hurry if she wanted to be undiscovered. Her family didn't normally wake early, but the maids did. And they would doubtlessly ask questions.

She made it back undiscovered. After securing her horse in his stable, she sneaked up to her room and managed to change clothes and dishevel her bed - which was still neatly made, she had not gotten to sleep the night before - so that it looked like she hadn't gone anywhere.

She had never been awake all night before. She wondered if she looked tired at all – she certainly didn't feel tired, with all the worry and excitement. Quickly, she checked her self in the mirror in her room. She looked relatively fine and if anyone would suspect, she decided she would just say that she couldn't sleep.

It would be difficult to pretend that everything was alright when, to her, it clearly wasn't.

XxX

Soon, the entire family was awake. In the time she had waited, she decided that she would do something about Dominic herself… as soon as she came up with a plan. It wouldn't be easy, it wouldn't be safe, but it had to be done. She could not rely, as she had said years before, on the goodness of others. She had to save herself.

After joining her family for breakfast, Alex had much to do. She was planning her wedding - something she knew wouldn't happen if she didn't do something about Dominic - which was still about a month away. It wasn't easy to listen to plans for a celebration that might never come. But she had to keep her emotions in check. Any little slip would reveal her and possibly put her family in danger.

Worst of all, she was going over most of the plans with her mother, which made things ten times worse. Alex knew her mother had an excellent intuition, and if Odette suspected a thing, Alex would be found out.

Alex's act began to slip when asked what color the wedding should be themed.

"Silver and light blue," she answered through a yawn.

"Alex, are you alright?" Odette asked. Usually, Alex was very wide awake in the morning. She had an unshakeable vitality on most days. Even one yawn was out of the ordinary.

"Oh, I'm fine. I just didn't fall asleep very quickly last night."

"That's strange because you looked so tired."

"I guess it's the excitement.

"Then maybe I should take you away from it," a voice from behind them said. It was Matthew. Alex couldn't help but smile as she saw him.

"Maybe you should," Odette agreed. "I think she might be overworking herself."

Alex blushed a little. She didn't feel completely comfortable being worried over, even though she knew her mother meant well. "I'm fine. Really, I am."

"All the same," Matthew said. "Come with me."

She did so, again not wanting to tip anyone off.

They walked their route, with Matthew talking excitedly about the wedding. Alex, for the most part was silent.

"Why so quiet, love," Matthew finally asked. "Is everything alright?"

She wanted to answer 'no' so badly. It was hard to hold her tongue. But easing her own guilt and exhaustion was not worth endangering her family. "Everything is fine."

"I believe you," he said, trying to remember what his father said about trusting her ability. Besides, after everything that had happened at the ball, he was sure that if she had a problem, she would let him know.

His faith in her made Alex feel more guilty. She hated keeping things from him, even when forced. It just wasn't right. She was tempted to tell him everything right there. But what if he wouldn't be able to act in time? Dominic would be able to hurt her family. And even if Matthew did act in time, what if Dominic was too strong for him?

Again, telling anyone became completely out of the question.

"But you look tired," he mentioned casually. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, of course. I just couldn't fall asleep last night. I guess I'm just excited."

He smiled widely. "So am I. I can't wait to be married to you."

Her heart jerked. It was visible to Matthew.

"What, Alex? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, trying to come up with an explanation for the sudden distressed look upon her face. Fortunately, a yawn interrupted her thought.

"Maybe you should take a nap," Matthew said. "You look awfully tired."

"Yes," she agreed readily. "I will."

He watched her go as she walked quickly back to the castle. He knew he had been naïve earlier when he said that he believed her assurance that nothing was wrong.

"Alex, please tell me," he whispered. "Before it's too late."


	8. Chapter 8

With little trouble, Alex managed to sneak out of the castle and meet Dominic in the same disheveled barn she had before. Only once did she have to lie to Matthew to get out.

"It's Mireia's birthday," she explained.

"Why didn't you visit her during the day?" he asked. He stood between her and the door. The sun had already set, and Alex was doing her best to hide the sickness that was imposed when she did not go directly to Dominic when the sun set.

"I've been busy all day."

"Alex, no one would have mind if you would have left. We can take care of things here."

"Okay you got me," she feigned a smile. "I completely forgot and I need to make it up to her."

"Then just wait until tomorrow. She'll understand, I'm sure."

"Come on Matthew," Alex said, trying to get out of there faster. "You know as well as I do that a birthday wish only really works on the person's birthday."

He sighed, and stepped out of the way. "Be careful. There's no moon tonight. You won't be able to see very well. Try and get someone to escort you back."

She kissed him on the cheek. She knew he was angry; perhaps not at her, but he was angry.

She left without another word. Quickly, she rode over to Dominic and his crony, Rokus. She didn't like either one, for obvious reasons, but Rokus seemed always to be staring at her. He had hungry, greedy eyes. Truly, she was glad it wasn't he who was trying to marry her.

"You're late," Dominic noted.

"Matthew wouldn't let me leave," she replied sharply.

"Does he not trust you?"

She glowered at him. "No. And for good reason. I just had to lie to him to be able to leave. So thank you for ruining his trust in me."

"I'm not the one who's making you lie to him."

"You threatened his life and the lives of my family if I talk," she reminded him angrily.

"I gave you another option. The offer still stands; marry me, and you won't have to worry about this ever again."

"I'll take my chances."

"As you wish."

"Nothing has been as I wished…"

XxX

On the way back, she passed in front of the orphanage. She knocked loudly on the door. Luckily it was Mireia, the person she had gone there to talk to, who answered the door.

"Alex? You're here awfully early. Is everything alright?"

"No," Alex answered truthfully. "But I can't talk about it. Mireia, I need you to lie for me, but I promise it's for good reason."

"It must be. You hate liars."

"I would love you if you would do this for me."

"Name it, Alex. Whatever you want."

"I need you to pretend like yesterday was your birthday if you see my family any time soon. Act like I came here and we had a great time celebrating and that I stayed here for the night."

"Al-alright… And you can't tell me why?"

"If I could, I would."

"That's alright," Mireia said soothingly. "I trust you. Whatever is important to you is important to me."

"Thank you so much. And tell Lydia. I must go."

"It's nothing, Alex. Anything for you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

XxX

Alex made it back to the castle undetected. She was exhausted. All the nights of staying up and little sleep in between were wearing on her. She didn't know how much longer she could take it. It was physical and mental punishment. In fact, even her emotions were under attack. She was constantly cranky from the lack of sleep.

She'd been short with just about everyone lately, and it only added to her guilt.

Later in the day, after a short nap, Alex was walking about the hallways, trying to pretend to be interested in planning her wedding, which she was more and more sure would never happen. It was just so difficult to care about anything anymore.

"Alex!" Odette called from far down the hall. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere in particular," Alex answered, walking over to her, trying to remember not to be too aggressive. "Why?"

"Your dress fitting is today, remember?"

Alex groaned, ill tempered despite her efforts. "That was today?"

"Yes. Alex, what's _wrong_?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

Odette shook her head, knowing that Alex was lying. "No. Nothing's fine. Not with you. Alex, you've been quick tempered, exhausted, and confused for a while now. You forget things and you're almost lifeless. Alex, that's not like you. What has you so exhausted all the time?"

"_Nothing_," Alex answered, a little angrily. She reigned in her temper. "I'm fine."

"Stop trying to make me believe that."

"Can you just believe it, and trust me? For your sake?"

A flash of irritation went across Odette's face for a moment. "Is that a threat, Alex?"

"I've said too much."

"You have," Odette agreed.

"I didn't mean to threaten you. Truly, I didn't. It's not me."

Odette's face softened with her former worry. "I know. You're not acting like yourself at all. And I don't understand."

Alex felt as if she would tell her mother everything right there. "I… I wish I could explain… I have to get my dress fitted. We'll talk later."

"When is later, Alex?"

"I don't know."

XxX

Things were getting harder for everyone at Swan Lake, not just Alex. The constant strain from everyone's worry over Alex was making for a stressful habitat.

Upon Matthew's insistence, Alex was taking a nap, yet another thing that was wildly out of character for her. He was with Eli, playing cards in one of the private rooms in the castle. They were both bored as they could be. No one was winning because no one was trying.

"Think Alex is sneaking out at night?" Eli asked seriously.

"I'm sure she is," he replied. "I just don't know where."

"What do you think she's up to?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure she's in some kind of trouble."

"Probably. Do you think she's doing anything wrong?"

"What do you mean 'wrong'?"

"Come on, Matthew. Don't you see it? She's sneaking around, making excuses, and all at night, no less."

Matthew put down his hand of cards. "You don't mean to imply that she's being unfaithful, do you?"

"Hey, I'm just looking at it from all angles. Why else wouldn't she tell you?"

Matthew was in a silent rage for a moment. He spoke next through gritted teeth. "How dare you accuse her of infidelity? You don't know anything!"

"And neither do you! I'm not saying she is or she isn't. I just want you to look at all possibilities."

"Shut up! Possibilities nothing! What is your problem? I'd think as her brother you'd be worried about her, not accusing her of… ugh! I can't even say it!"

"Calm down, Matthew I was just-"

"Just what?" Matthew jumped up from his seat and walked around the room, trying to calm down. "Just mouthing off about things you don't know?"

Eli stood up too, walking over to meet Matthew. He put his hands on his shoulders. "I'm trying to make you see reason. I know you love her. I love her too, and I don't think she'd actually do it."

"Then why mention it at all?" Matthew demanded.

"Because for twelve years, I didn't know her. I don't know what she's capable of. For all we know-"

Matthew cut Eli off by pushing him away. "What, that she's just some floozy? Is that it? Is that what you think of your own sister?" Matthew kept pushing him across the room, an easy task, considering he was four years older than Eli. "Talk! Why are you so suddenly quiet? You were saying an awful lot just now."

Eli pushed him back. "I'm just trying to help you! Just listen! Stop being so blind! You're just mad because you don't know her as well as you thought she did!"

The last thing Eli said sent Matthew over the edge. He punched Eli hard on the cheek with a mean right hook, followed by the left. In a sudden rage, Matthew wrestled Eli to the floor, still hitting him. He didn't even hear when the door flew open and Derek, Odette, and a guard rushed in.

"Stop it! Both of you, just stop!" Odette yelled. Matthew didn't seem to hear her. "Matthew, get off of him!"

Matthew just wasn't listening. It took the added strength of Derek and the guard to pull him off of Eli, who had a bloody nose and two black eyes. He wasn't crying, but Matthew was.

"How could you say that?" he choked through his tears. He wiggled out of Derek and the guard's grasp and left the room. Derek excused the guard.

"I'll talk to him," Odette volunteered, whispering to Derek.

"And I'll talk to Eli," Derek replied.

Odette quickly followed Matthew down the hall and to his room .She knocked lightly on the door. "Matthew, it's me." She could hear him crying, if only faintly.

"Please go away."

"We need to talk," she insisted, opening the door.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his face buried in his hands. Quickly, he dried his eyes as best he could and looked up at Odette, who, to his surprise, was not angry, but sympathetic. He scooted over and allowed her room to sit down.

"Matthew, what happened?"

Matthew couldn't find words to answer for a moment.

"You can tell me," she assured him. "I'm not angry with you."

"You should be," he muttered.

"I'll be the judge of that. Tell me what happened."

In all his best, Matthew related the story and everything Eli had said. "How could he say that about her? His own sister?"

"Because he's worried about her. He's just like Derek. Neither one of them can express their emotions very well. You're right, Eli did take things too far, but you shouldn't have hit him, although I can't say I blame you."

"I just couldn't bear to hear him say all that about her. I went crazy. I am so sorry."

"I know. And I forgive you. Listen, Eli's really watchful of Alex. He missed her when she was gone, probably more than any of us… except for me. Losing a child is much different from losing a sister. Anyway, he wants to believe that she's not in danger, and he'll believe anything to make that true. He knows as well as you that she would never be unfaithful, but he'd rather believe that than know she's unsafe."

"Then why was he saying all of that to me?"

"Because, in his mind, he thought it would help you. He's selfish sometimes. I think he gets that from me. He also knows that it would be much easier to be angry with her than to worry about her."

"I'd give anything to know what's going on with her right now."

"So would I. So would we all."

XxX

Meanwhile, Derek was speaking to Eli.

"Son, what happened?" he asked as Eli was cleaning off his face.

Eli knew Derek would be angry with him for the things he said to Matthew about Alex. But it would be worse to lie. "I said something I shouldn't have." As Matthew had done for Odette, he explained what happened with him and Matthew.

Eli was right; Derek _was _angry. But he was calm. "Why would you say those things, son?"

"Because I… I think Alex is in danger."

"So do the rest of us, but we're not accusing her of infidelity."

"Wouldn't it be easier to believe that than pray that she's not in danger?"

Derek nodded. "It would be. But the truth is always better. Accusing her of something doesn't make it true, and just because you don't want to believe something, it doesn't mean it's not happening or not going to happen."

"How can you just live with knowing that Alex is in big trouble and do nothing."

"For the same reason as Matthew; whatever is going on, it's only going to be worse if we interfere. Alex herself has already made that painfully clear by pushing us away like she has been."

"What are we supposed to do? Just let her get in more and more trouble? What happens if we have to opportunity to save her and we pass it up and she dies? Then what?"

"I don't know, son. We just have to wait for our chance."

"That's not good enough!"

"I know," Derek agreed, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. "I know that it's not good enough, and it's not fair, and we shouldn't have to go through it, and she shouldn't have to suffer. I'm just as worried about her as you are, if not more; she's my daughter and I've lost her once. I know; you've lost her too, but there's a difference. You'll understand someday. But for now, you have to be patient and wait. Whatever happens, you have to be patient."

They were silent for a moment. But Eli couldn't help voicing the one question on everyone's mind.

"What if Alex doesn't come back tonight?"


	9. Chapter 9

Derek shook his head and stood up. "Tonight – and I hate to do this – we won't let her leave."

"How are we going to manage that? Alex is free to leave of her own free will."

"She's been sneaking out, meaning she doesn't want us to know that she's leaving and she doesn't want us asking questions. I'll assign some extra guards around her room."

"Sounds like a good enough plan," Eli said as he got up. "Good luck with that…" he mumbled as he walking out the door.

Waiting there, to his surprise, was Matthew.

"I am so sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have hit you. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Eli replied. "You managed not to break my nose."

"Look, I don't know what came over me. I just went crazy when you started saying-"

"Don't repeat it," Eli interrupted, holding his hand up for silence. "It shouldn't have been said in the first place. I'm sorry for that… So I guess we're even." He held out his hand to Matthew.

Matthew, with his strong grip, shook Eli's hand. "Even," he agreed.

Eli explained the plan for the night, and though he was uneasy about not taking his father's advice, Matthew realized that the situation called for drastic measures, and he agreed. In fact, he decided that he would keep watch all night if he had to.

XxX

Meanwhile, Odette couldn't help but check on Alex. Engaged or not, Odette still felt like Alex was her little girl, and because of this, she couldn't help being protective of her.

As quietly as she could, she slipped into Alex's room.

Although the curtains were drawn to let in as little light as possible, the room was still fairly bright. It was strange to know that Alex was sleeping this late in the day, but it gladdened Odette to know that she was sleeping at all, as of late.

Alex lie on her stomach, her arms wrapped around her pillow, like she was about to fall and she had to hold on for dear life. Odette pushed a little bit of Alex's brown hair out of her face. The color was returning to her cheeks and she didn't look so sickly. Her eyebrows were furrowed in intensity. Odette hoped she wasn't dreaming about what was happening to her – it was bad enough that she had to live it in the first place.

But knowing that, even for a little while, Alex was safe and at home, sleeping as she was, was peaceful to Odette, although she knew it wouldn't last.

As quietly as she had went in, she left the room, carefully closing the door. When she turned around, she had to stifle a gasp when she realized Derek was there.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I wanted to talk to you."

"What is it, Derek?" Odette asked, hoping he had somehow gotten to the bottom of what was troubling Alex.

"I was talking to Eli, and we both thought it would be a good idea to keep Alex home tonight." He explained his plan, leaving out details about how many guards there would be around Alex's room, which would only serve to upset Odette.

She nodded reluctantly; a little disappointed that he was as in the dark as she was, but glad someone had finally decided to do something. "Does Matthew know?"

"I'm sure Eli has already told him and I'm sure he would agree."

"Do you think those two will forgive each other?"

"They were never really angry with each other. It's just not an easy thing knowing the one you love is in danger and there's nothing you can do about it." He was speaking from experience. Odette said nothing for a moment.

"Let's leave this hallway before we wake Alex."

But Alex was already awake. Truthfully, she had been since Odette entered her room, but she didn't want to give herself away and upset her mother. She had enough of her own guilt to deal with, let alone allowing Odette to feel any, especially over something as insubstantial as waking her up.

She wondered how she would get out that night. The price of going was high, but the price of staying couldn't even be measured. She stayed in her room for a while longer, trying to think of what to do.

XxX

"Eli! What happened?" Joan, who had been in a separate part of the castle, reading in the library, asked when she saw her brother's face. He looked absolutely terrible.

Eli explained what happened in full – no need to hide things from Joan, she would find out anyway. She was too much like Odette to be willingly ignorant.

"Are you alright? It sounds like Matthew really gave you what for."

"I'm fine. I'm still worried about Alex, though."

"Me too," Joan agreed quietly, hanging her head a little bit. Then, suddenly, her face lit up in a 'eureka' expression. "Then why don't we do something about it?"

"Like what?" Eli asked. "Alex won't answer questions and no one else knows what's going on."

"Maybe her friends know."

"Her friends?"

"Lydia and Mireia. You remember Mireia, right?" she asked suggestively.

Eli rolled his eyes. "What do you think they would know that we don't?"

"I don't know, but it can't hurt to ask. If they do know something, then we'll be able to help Alex. If not, then we're no further from the truth than we are now."

Eli nodded in agreement. Within the hour they were saddled up and ready to go to Alex's orphanage. Not wanting to waste time, they left behind nothing but a note explaining their whereabouts, should they be missed and the question arise while they would be gone.

It didn't take long for them to get there. Eli, who had decided to take charge of the little expedition, knocked on the door very regally and businesslike.

Answering the door was Alex's friend Lydia. She curtsied and invited them in, leading them to a small office. After calling for Mireia, she turned to Eli and Joan who were already sitting down.

"What can I help you with?" she asked as she moved around to the other side of a large desk that was in the middle of the room.

"We're worried about Alex," Joan said. "She's been acting strange lately, and we were wondering if you might know anything about it."

"Do you, Mireia?" Lydia looked up and asked her friend, who had just walked in the door. Eli couldn't help but twist around in his seat to see her. Despite the situation, he smiled at her.

She faintly returned Eli's smile, trying not to concentrate on how bruised up his face looked. "She… she came here the other night, well, it was very early in the morning, actually. She asked me to lie for her, should you come looking for her, and I don't know why. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong… but I know she's in trouble. Just by looking at her, I knew there was something wrong."

"She's been lying to us," Eli said. "And sneaking out. She's exhausted and we know she's in some kind of danger, but she just won't tell us what it is."

"She must have a good reason," Mireia ventured. "She would be truthful otherwise. Believe me, she's thinking of not only herself when she lies to you. It's not something she would do if the situation were dire."

Eli nodded and stood up, not wanting to press the girl anymore. He gently kissed her knuckle before he left. "Thank you for your help."

Joan, surprised, cast a confused glance in Lydia's direction. Lydia merely shrugged, just as unsure of what to think of Eli's action as Joan was. Mireia looked completely star struck. In any other situation, Joan would have found it funny.

She left, following her brother, knowing only one thing; she could still trust her older sister, a fact that meant the world to her.

XxX

Alex had finally come up with a plan, sneaky and deceitful as it was; she would sneak to her brother's room, borrow some dark clothes – she would be difficult to recognize while in his attire and hard to see her if she could blend in with the night – find a rope somewhere and climb from the window of her room. It was foolhardy and desperate, but there was no other alternative.

She found her opening when Joan knocked on her bedroom door.

"Alex? It's me, Joan. Dinner is served, if you want some."

Guiltily, Alex called back; "Not now, Joan. I'm too tired."

Joan opened the door and peered in. "Are you sure? We'd really miss you."

Alex frowned inwardly, hating the lie she was about to tell. She walked over to Joan and smiled. "Alright, if you insist. Just give me some time to change. I'll be there soon."

"Alex, may I ask you a question?"

"A-anything," Alex replied shakily.

"Where do you go at night?"

"I can't answer that."

"I thought you said I could ask you a question."

"I didn't say I would answer it, Joan. Listen, if I could answer it, I would. I'd tell you everything right now if I could. But in time, my secret will reveal itself. You'll know soon enough."

"Alex, we're all really worried about you."

"I know."

"Do you?" Joan asked. "Do you really know?"

"I'm sorry I'm making you worry. But it's for the best."

"Alex… the last time someone kept a secret for mother, those same words were spoken and she almost died. Don't you remember that story?"

Alex's eyes grew bigger in surprise. She understood that her father made a mistake with the notes, of course, but to have Joan compare her situation to what he did was a shock. "This is different. Much different. I'm not hiding things because I don't want mother to be angry with me. Having her angry with me would be much easier than the consequences that would befall you and the others if I told this secret, I assure you. So don't you dare compare this to that."

Joan nodded in understanding. There was a moment of silence before she spoke again. "They don't trust you anymore. They still love you, but they don't trust you."

Alex said nothing, fighting tears for a few seconds before she could some up with something to say. "And you? How do you feel about me?"

"I know you're doing what you believe is the right thing. I can't explain it, but I'm sure that you're trying to do what's best."

"I'll have to prove to them what you already believe. But not tonight. I don't have time. Go ahead and tell everyone I won't be down for dinner..." She watched as Joan walked away with the message. "I've wasted too much time already."

Quickly, she ran to her brother's room. There wasn't a moment to lose. She grabbed a black shirt from his wardrobe and a pair of black trousers. Quickly, she rolled the pant legs up – her brother was getting so tall – and found a dark cape with a hood. Last, she found a pair of his old boots, carelessly shoved to the back of the wardrobe, as he never bothered to get rid of them.

There was no time to try and find a rope. Instead, she went back to her own room and rushed to the window. The drop to a nearby balcony was not too far and she knew the room to be empty. Remembering something, she went back to her desk, opened a drawer, and retrieved a key. With it, she locked her bedroom door.

"_Joan, if you ever need anything, my door is always open to you." _

Her words echoed around in her mind. There were so many contradictions to what she had said in the past lately. She pushed the thought aside.

She returned to the window.

Bracing herself, she leaped from the windowsill to the balcony below. Nearby was the roof to the stable. Climbing as carefully as she could, she made it there. A quick scan of the ground revealed a haystack that would break her fall if she jumped from the roof. She did so.

Collecting herself and trying to ignore the hay needles that were in her hair, she retrieved her stallion and rode off into the night, back to the man that had cost her the trust of her family.

XxX

The road was dark and the night was long. Alex could hardly bring herself to make it there in time, but she did.

She stayed in her captors' presence, menaced by Dominic and ogled by Rokus. Even with her own iron will, she wondered if death was the only answer. Truly, she had no idea what she would do if the constant abuse on her mind, body, and emotions were to continue.

But death wasn't a good enough answer for her. She had to do something about Dominic and soon. This she knew.

But she didn't know what to do.

The night passed with little change in what had been the normal routine. The only real difference was her level of exhaustion; even with two naps during the day, it was much worse. Her body simply couldn't take any more punishment and she knew it.

She mounted up the next morning and left Dominic and his minion. She rode back home so tired that she could hardly see the road. Her vision was failing just as the rest of her body was.

Finally, she was on the castle grounds. Outside of the stables she could see her entire family waiting for her, waiting for an explanation she could not give.

And she wouldn't have to. Just as she was approaching the stable, she felt herself go limp. She fainted and while subconsciously losing her balance, she began to fall from the horse.

With no one near enough to catch her, she hit the ground with a loud thud.


	10. Chapter 10

"Alex!" Odette screamed.

Before she had finished the word, Matthew had hit his knees on the ground beside her. "Alex!" he called. "Can you hear me?" He quickly listened to her heartbeat and her breathing. She was merely unconscious, fortunately.

"Get her inside, to the infirmary," Derek said.

Quickly, Matthew scooped her off the ground, surprised by how light she had become – not that she'd ever been fat; but since becoming so weak and exhausted, she had lost weight, and it was unhealthy. It nearly killed him to see her face so empty of its normal energy. In fact, there was a certain sadness to her visage that broke his heart.

Shaking his pity for her, he quickly walked inside and into the infirmary, startling one of the nurses, who wasn't accustomed to the commotion of even one person being hurt in a day, let alone the crown princess.

"What happened?" she asked Matthew the moment he lay her down in one of the many empty beds in the room. No one else was being attended to. Alex had the nurse's full attention.

"She fell from her horse," he replied, not looking away from Alex.

The nurse quickly examined Alex's head. "She doesn't appear to have hurt her head. She's lucky for that but… she shouldn't have lost consciousness. That doesn't make sense."

"She hasn't slept very well in days," Odette explained, hoping the nurse wouldn't ask why.

Thankfully, she didn't. "Now that fits. She's absolutely exhausted and if this would have continued, she probably wouldn't live. For today, just let her rest. She should be better soon."

Matthew, still staring at Alex, couldn't bear to leave her. "Would it be alright if I stayed with her?"

The nurse was thoughtful for a moment. "Well, she's so exhausted that nothing would keep her awake for very long so it's alright, medically… still," she said, looking at Derek and Odette, "it's not my decision."

"He can stay," Derek said, "if it's alright with you, Odette."

"I'll be here anyway," Odette replied. "I don't want to leave her either."

Derek was reluctant to let Odette stay, simply because just waiting around for Alex to get better would only upset her. "I know but-"

"She'll need to get a change of clothes and a few other things," the nurse interrupted, understanding his hesitation. "And she'll need some privacy, if she will even wake." She was an older woman and after seeing many illnesses and injuries, she knew the effects they could have on not only the patient, but on his or her family.

She knew Alex would probably sleeping for most of the day and that progress would be slow in coming, and when progress was slow in coming, stress would ensue and make things that much worse for the patient.

Odette and Matthew, along with the rest of the family, reluctantly left Alex alone so that she could be tended to, each of them going their own way throughout the castle.

Alone, confused, and miserable, Matthew felt so blind. There was nothing he could do for Alex and yet he felt as if he should do _something_. It wasn't easy to watch his future bride – if she even lived to see the wedding, he couldn't stop himself from thinking – in so much pain and despair.

And then there was that morning; waiting outside for her like she was a criminal on trial. How could he have brought himself to do that? Nothing was worth treating Alex with such distrust. She had to have been doing the right thing, something for the family, something for _him_. What else would make her act so strangely?

It made no sense that she would risk the family she had just gotten back. Why hadn't he realized it before? It was so easy, as Eli had said, to be angry with her and suspect her of wrongdoing than to actually figure out what to do to help Alex. He held himself responsible for the life that was intertwined with his own, the life that, if things didn't go well on that day, would be lost.

He prayed with every breath for her speedy recovery, finally feeling like he was doing something that would benefit her.

XxX

Odette felt much the same way. She had been angry with Alex that morning, truly fed up with the girl. And why? Because she couldn't help. And being frustrated made her feel better.

It was wrong to think that, true. But what else could she do?

Alex wouldn't break her silence and no one else knew what was going on. Matthew refused to insult her intelligence by insisting she talk to him and insisting he help her. (She was sure there was more to it than that, but her frustration made things seem more black and white than they actually were.) Derek and the others couldn't get through to her and, for the first time, neither could she.

She thought about all the times when she went to royal balls in other kingdoms. Whenever she and her family arrived, especially in the two years after Alex's kidnapping and in the year since her return, the room would grow silent, save for the whispers emanating from some of the court ladies who stood in groups here and there, and all eyes would be on them.

She had even talked to Camille, Matthew's mother about it. And Camille had said it was the intensity that the entire family carried with them. And it was true; they never participated in frivolous activities such as gossiping nor did they speak above a volume they would use in any normal situation. Derek and Odette were inseparable, whereas other couples couldn't wait to find an excuse to be apart. Eli didn't try to meet girls, not that he didn't have offers, and Joan wasn't betrothed, not that some kings didn't try to match her with their sons.

In Odette's theory, the intensity and seriousness had been bred from the tragedies the family had endured over the years. If it was not one thing, it was another. There was hardly ever any peace, it seemed.

But there was love. And that was what mattered. That was what kept them all together through the horrors and the tragedies and the staring and the whispers.

So why was Alex breaking away?

Why wouldn't she allow herself to be helped?

Someone was keeping her silent. But who? For the life of her, Odette could not figure out who would have such a hold over Alex. Thinking on her own experience, Odette couldn't think of anyone who had a hold over her, save for Derek, but that was a positive hold, something born of love.

But wait. What about Rothbart? She had been under his control for an entire summer. She shivered. He had killed her father, taken her away from what was left of her family, threatened her, made her cry, broke her heart, nearly killed Derek and herself… the list could go on forever and to that day, he was the only man she was afraid of.

So what if there was someone like that in Alex's life? What if someone was – or was threatening to – put her through that same misery? Then everything Alex did would make sense. Yes. It all fit. Someone was threatening Alex and her family and Alex was reacting in the only way she could.

But who was doing it?

XxX

As Alex slept, she was plagued with terrible nightmares, but none worse than the one she was experiencing while Odette and Matthew were on their way back to the infirmary.

_She was running, away from the castle, and everything was in the strangest colors. The forest was bright, the greens of the foliage nearly blinding her. She was moving quickly, but trailing behind her was Matthew. _

"_Alex, wait!" he called after her. "Please, Alex, wait for me!" _

_She found that she was unable to speak. She could only continue running. She felt her legs weakening beneath her. But she continued to move. Onward and onward she went, breathing heavily but never getting enough air in her exhausted lungs. _

_And there he was. _

_Dominic. _

_He was standing in the middle of the road. Alex ground to a halt, her feet covered in the dirt that had been kicked up when she stopped so suddenly. _

_In a tense moment, no one spoke. She was caught between her greatest love and her greatest threat. _

"_Come to me, Alexandra," Dominic beckoned. "I can give you and your family safety and piece of mind. I can give you everything. You need only accept my offer." _

_Alex looked back to Matthew, whose face was painted in absolute horror, and, still, she could not speak. _

"_Please don't go, Alex," he said. "You know I love you more than my own life. Please don't throw it all away."_

_Dominic laughed. "What can he offer you? A heart full of love? Bah! Pathetic. Come with me, girl, and I'll give you everything he can't. You know I have the power to do it." _

_The words, despite the mouth they echoed from, were comforting. Alex wished she could trust the man to deliver all he promised. She just wanted to be at peace again. But no, any offer Dominic had was a trap, and she couldn't fall for it._

"_Never will I break," she intoned, speaking for the first time. _

"_Haven't you already?" _

_Suddenly, Alex lost all her bravado. A ball of light appeared in Dominic's hand, with a swift movement, he transformed into The Great Animal, a beast that resembled a large bat. Derek had described it when she was young, but none of his depictions measured up to the true horror of the beast. _

_It flew over her head and to Matthew, who could not move to defend himself in time. The beast grabbed him and flew high into the air. The next moment, Alex could see a black dot falling against the blue sky. Whatever it was, it landed beyond Alex's field of vision. _

_With a twisting, gnarling sense of dread eating away at her, Alex ran over to where she was sure the object landed._

_To her absolute horror, Alex realized that it was no object that had fallen. It was Matthew. _

_She pitched to her knees at his side, turning him over so she could see his face. It was covered in blood, as he had hit many tree branches during his fall. _

"_Matthew!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes._

"_Was this- was this how you wanted it?" he asked, stuttering. _

"_No! I wanted you to be safe! I-"_

"_Shh… It's alright. I forgive you, Alex. I know you were doing the best you could."_

"_But it wasn't! You-you're dying!" _

"_And? It's not your fault."_

"_But it is!"_

"_I love you."_

_She couldn't speak in reply._

"_Alex?"_

"_Yes! I'm here!"_

_Then, another voice broke into the dream; her mother's. "Alex?"_

"_I'm here!"_

"_Alex!"_

Alex awoke in tears, completely confused and upset scared for her family and wondering what had happened. It hadn't quite registered in her mind that it wasn't real. But, when she looked around her, on either side of the bed she lay in stood Matthew and Odette, and she began to slowly understand that nothing in her nightmare had actually taken place.

She shot up off the pillow she had been lying on.

"Where am I?" she asked, her voice still high pitched in distress. She couldn't calm down.

"Shh, Alex," Odette cooed, placing her hand on Alex's, "you're home. You're safe."

Alex tried to slow her breathing, but could not until Matthew was also holding her hand and speaking to her. "You're alright, Alex. It's okay."

"You- you!" She couldn't speak anymore. Her dream was so realistic that she was actually shocked that it didn't really happen.

"It's alright," he insisted. "I'm here."

She calmed down and lay back in the bed. Slowly, her breathing and heart-rate returned to normal and she could think clearly again.

Seeing that her face was covered in sweat, Odette walked off to get Alex a towel. While they were alone, Matthew wasted no time in asking Alex what was wrong.

"What happened, love?" he asked. "What was your dream about?"

"It was a nightmare!" she exclaimed. "You died!"

"What?"

"In my dream, my nightmare! You died."

"Alex," he said, kissing her on the cheek, "I am still very much alive. Don't worry."

"It was so real."

"But it wasn't," he replied, tucking her in. "And I'm alright. Now I want you to rest."

"What about-"

"Whatever it is," he interrupted, "it will have to wait. Rest, Alex."

Thankful for a chance to rest, she closed her eyes, comforted by Matthew's presence, and fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

For Alex and the family, it seemed as if things were finally turning around and getting back to normal – for the moment, that is. Alex was safe at home and resting quietly and the family wasn't tripping over themselves worrying about her.

There couldn't have been a bigger relief for Matthew. He had stood by and watched as Alex rapidly deteriorated. And now, he watched as she regained her strength. It was slow but steady; every moment brought another year of life back to her face. She didn't look as if she would die at any moment anymore.

But, in the back of his mind he knew the danger had not passed, and he intended to make Alex tell him what was wrong. He didn't know how he was going to manage that, he admitted to himself, but he refused to allow her to be miserable and weak as she was again, as he had before.

Alex had no more dreams that day. She dozed on and off, speaking to her family while she was awake and making no movements or sounds while asleep.

Joan and Eli visited frequently and, as he could, Derek dropped in every now and again.

It took a while before Joan could finally catch Alex while she was awake. Alex seemed glad to see her little sister.

They were alone. Upon the nurse's insistence, Odette and Matthew left to get something to eat and rest. Their constant, protective – albeit a bit smothering; but who was Alex to complain, since she was finally so close to her family again? - vigil proved tiring and it would be some time before they returned.

"Hey," Alex greeted, propped up on her pillows. She had just finished her lunch and was, for now, wide awake.

"Hey yourself," Joan replied, sitting down beside Alex's bed. "How do you feel?"

"Better than I have in days, I assure you." There was something sad in Joan's expression. Or maybe _sad_ was the wrong word; _regretful_, perhaps, would be a better fit. "Something wrong?"

"I was just feeling a little guilty about last night."

Alex was slightly confused; she couldn't remember Joan saying or doing anything offensive – but then again, she couldn't remember a thing about the night before. Such was the degree of her exhaustion. "What about last night?"

"When I compared you to Father – not to insult him, mind you; it was just the situation that was so… well, you know."

Alex gave her a confused expression. "Joan, I'm afraid I don't remember…"

"You know, when I mentioned the situation over Rothbart's notes and all? And how Father kept all that a secret from Mother? I shouldn't have insulted your intentions like that."

"Forget it Joan. It was really the wakeup call I needed. I knew I was causing you all to worry, but I didn't realize that it had gotten so bad, that is had gotten _that _bad. I'm sorry you suffered."

"Alex, until whatever it is that caused all this is stopped, we will continue to suffer."

"I know," Alex admitted. "And I'm going to make it stop tonight."

"Surely you can't be thinking of leaving?" Odette asked as she walked in.

For a moment, Alex looked at her in surprise. She hadn't expected Odette to walk in at that moment, and she didn't especially want to explain her plan for that night – not that she had come up with a plan that was concrete quite yet.

"I have to."

"In your condition-"

"What condition?" Alex interrupted, trying to sound like her old, confident self. "I'm better now, better than I have been in days, as I told Joan earlier. And tonight, I will put an end to all of this and you won't suffer anymore."

"It's not worth your life Alex."

"But it _is_ worth _yours_," Alex said under her breath, too quietly for Odette to hear.

Matthew entered the room and, for the moment, all conversation had stopped. None of them wanted Matthew to know what Alex was planning. It would just be another thing on the long list of problems.

He was a little confused to see that everyone was silent when he walked in, but decided not to question the issue.

Somewhere in his mind, he knew it would do no good.

XxX

The rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully, but as sunset approached, Alex felt herself growing nervous. She knew she would have to leave, but there was no way she could sneak out, not with her entire family surrounding her.

But she couldn't just give up. She knew that. She was the one thing standing between Dominic and the destruction of her family. She couldn't give in or surrender.

For one moment, she was left alone with Matthew as the others went to eat an early dinner.

"Matthew, listen to me," she said urgently.

"I am," he replied, matching her air of importance.

"When the sun sets, I must leave."

"Leave? And go where?"

"To the person that has been causing all this trouble. I have to stop him tonight."

"Alone?"

"It's too dangerous for you to go with me, Matthew. You could be killed."

"And so could you. You're lucky to be alive even now, Alex."

"I know," she whispered. "And if this wasn't important, I wouldn't dream of leaving here, of leaving you."

"I can't lose you, Alex. I'd absolutely die if I lost you, not that life would be worth living anyway. There's nothing without you."

She sighed and cast her eyes down, unable to think of a reply.

He didn't say anything else, glad she wasn't arguing with him although he knew she hadn't yet been convinced to stay.

She didn't know what to do. Leaving Matthew would be difficult, but not leaving at all would cost the lives of him and the rest of her family. It was imperative that she put an end to Dominic that night.

Soon, dusk came. The only ones in the room with her were Derek, Eli, and Matthew. As soon as the sun had disappeared behind the mountains that surrounded the kingdom, she felt the terrible yearning to leave and heard Dominic's voice ringing in her ears.

"Come to me."

She jerked a little in the bed.

"What's wrong, Alex?" Derek asked.

"I have to go," she said, moving to get out of bed.

"Go where?" Eli demanded. "Alex, you shouldn't be moving around right now."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "But I need to leave. _Now_."

She could feel herself getting sick to her stomach. Matthew had his hands on her shoulders, trying to hold her attention and keep her from leaving.

Meanwhile, she could hear Dominic's voice. "Where are you, princess?"

"Alex! Stop struggling!" Matthew yelled. "Tell me what's going on!"

She was trying desperately to leave, but he was trying to stop her and he was much stronger. He couldn't allow her to become weak again. He had almost lost her because of his inaction.

But he could see her getting sicker again as Dominic spoke to her again.

"Get here, Alexandra. Now!"

She pitched as if she was about to vomit.

"Please, Matthew," she begged, feeling the excess saliva in her mouth, a warning that she was about to be sick. "Let me go."

Never before had Matthew heard Alex beg for anything. He watched in horror as she became sicker.

"Please," she whispered.

"Alright."

Matthew jerked his hands away from Alex and got out of her way.

"Matthew, what are you doing?" Derek demanded.

"We have to let her go. She's getting sicker."

Eli backed out of the way and so did Derek, though reluctantly.

Alex bolted out of the room, grabbed a cloak on the way out and ran as fast as she could to Dominic.

While she was running down the hall, she didn't know that Joan had seen her leave. Tired of being left behind and ignorant, Joan decided that she would follow.

Meanwhile, Odette went into the infirmary and was shocked to see that everyone was standing around talking excitedly, but not in the jovial tone they had been using all day. The room was tense.

Alex wasn't there.

The smile that she had worn as she walked in faded away quickly. "Where is she?"

"She had to leave, Odette," Derek said.

"Had to leave?"

"She was getting sick. She was going to die if she didn't go."

"She was going to die?" Odette repeated slowly. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know," Matthew admitted for Derek. "But whoever is doing this to her must be controlling her from afar."

"And there's nothing we can do about it," Eli muttered.

It suddenly struck Odette that someone was missing.

"Where is Joan?"

XxX

Joan followed behind slowly as Alex made her way through the forest, trying not to make too much noise so that her sister would realize that she was being followed. Finally, Alex reached an old barn.

Emerging from it was a man who was easily twice her age.

Somewhere behind her, Joan could hear a twig snap. She looked around for a moment, but then paid it no mind. It could have been anything, she assured herself.

Suddenly, a heavy hand was clasped over her mouth.

XxX

"What took you so long in getting here, Alex?" Dominic asked.

"My family didn't want to let me go," she replied bluntly. "They were too worried about me."

"Then how did you get here?"

"Because they became more worried when they realized that you had put me under a spell that would make me sick if I didn't get here."

"Good thing you came when you did; a few moments longer, and you probably would have died."

"It would be better than coming here," she mumbled, too low for him to hear.

"What was that?" he demanded, immediately annoyed by her insolence.

"I said I intend to put a stop to the threat on my family," she lied. In the back of her mind, she realized she had been doing an awful lot of lying lately.

"So you'll marry me?"

"Not in a million years," she replied coolly. "But I will find a way to stop you, make no mistake."

For a very brief moment, Dominic's face lit up as a flash of arrogance cut across his face. "Is that so?"

Immediately, Alex was on her guard. She tried to remain confident, but not knowing what Dominic was getting at made her a little nervous. "That's so."

"And you're sure your plans won't change? Or be interfered with?"

"What are you talking about?"

Dominic smirked. "Bring her forward, Rokus."

Alex, thinking Rokus was somehow going to manhandle her into being closer to Dominic, whirled around to see him right behind her. However, he couldn't have possibly laid a hand on her as his were full.

Alex watched in surprised horror as Joan, her blonde head jerking this way and that, struggled to be free of the burly man's grasp.

"Let me go!" she demanded when she had gotten her mouth free of his hand.

Rokus clapped his hand back in place, hard so that it was more like a slap than merely covering Joan's mouth to keep her quiet. Joan let out a yelp of pain and shock; no one had ever hit her before.

Alex grimaced, trying to reign back some of the rage that threatened to overpower her. "Let. Her. Go," she said in a very staccato voice, trying to avoid saying something she would later regret.

"I can't do that," Dominic said. "You see, I have no collateral. Letting her go would be like a bad business deal unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Marry me, Alex. And she'll be allowed to return safely home, provided, of course, that she doesn't rat us out on our little engagement."

It took no thought for Alex to answer. "So long as you let go of my sister, I'll marry you."

"Well, you heard my bride-to-be, Rokus. Let the girl go."

"What a shame," Rokus whined. "She's so pretty."

Alex was disgusted. "Let her go already!" She turned back to Dominic. "Might I have a word alone with my sister?"

"No tricks?" Dominic asked.

"No tricks. I promise."

"Go ahead then."

Alex walked over to Joan. "Joan, listen to me. I want you to go home and, no matter what happens, don't tell anyone what has happened here."

"But, Alex," Joan began to argue before Alex cut her off.

"Joan, I'm serious. Don't say a word. Go home.

"You can't marry him! Not for my sake."

"Joan, I said a long time ago, even before I was kidnapped, that I would look after you. I promised that to Mother. I can't break that promise, _not for my sake_."

"But Alex, what will you do when you are alone and married to him? Protecting me won't mean a thing if you aren't around."

"It will mean something to everyone at home. I can't let you die… or worse-" she looked pointedly at Rokus "- because I don't want to marry him."

"But it's my fault!"

"Go home! Just go, Joan! And don't tell anyone what you saw!"

When Alex spoke so harshly, Joan knew there was no point in arguing with her anymore. She had made her decision.

"Goodbye, Alex," she said just before running off into the night.

Alex watched her go, fighting the tears that threatened to run like waterfalls down her cheeks.

"Goodbye," she whispered.

"I am so sorry, my fiancé," Dominic said, pretending to comfort her, but in reality rubbing her face in her own misfortune.

"I hate you."

"It's not my fault. You had a choice."

"You people are all alike!" Alex yelled, turning on her heel to face him. "You, your father, Clavius, and Zelda! All of you! You make yourselves sound so righteous and fair, but in reality, all you do is drive families apart and make it sound like it's your victims' fault! You stand there, high and mighty, as the rest of us struggle to deal with the fact that we'll never see our loved ones again. This is your fault! You are the cause of my misery, just like your father was the cause of his death. My father would never kill a person, but when Rothbart threatened my mother, it was game on, and my father did what he had to do. So don't act for a second like you were doing something good by making me choose between my family's death and being stuck with you!"

Somewhere in the middle of her rant, Alex had gotten in Dominic's face and was yelling not five inches away from his mouth, which was set in a hard, annoyed line. With a swift, fluid movement, he slapped her across the cheek. His eyes were cold and menacing as she had never seen them before.

"You would do well to hold you tongue in my presence," he said, his voice monotone, though Alex could still detect the rage in it. "As my future bride, you will learn to respect and obey me."

Alex recoiled, but only slightly. Her face stung and she was once again on the verge of tears, this time, in embarrassment; like Joan, no one had ever had the audacity to hit her in the face. She shivered as Dominic leaned forward and whispered into her ear:

"We will get married, and I will have your kingdom… and much more than that by the time I am through."


	12. Chapter 12

Alex was shocked at Dominic's sudden foul temper. He had always been arrogant around her, parading himself around like he was some kind of God on Earth, but he had never before raised his voice at her.

But it was the same with Rothbart. When Alex had first gotten her memory back, Alex, wanting to make sure everything was there and she remembered everything she needed, had asked Odette to tell the stories to her. Since Alex was a great deal older, Odette added in a lot of details that she had passed over when telling it so many years before.

In the new, more detailed version of the story, Odette had told her that Rothbart had kept a fairly cool temper throughout most of the ordeal. It was only when Odette became angry that Rothbart raised his voice at her. Dominic, Alex had found, was much the same way.

Strange, that Alex should be so much like Odette and Dominic so much like Rothbart. The story had indeed repeated itself. However, and she supposed that this was because she was the one experiencing it, Alex found it much, much worse.

"Come along, darling," Dominic said, regaining his composure and beginning to walk off. "We have to find a church to be wed in. Rokus, stay here and make sure we aren't follow. Anyone who is looking for the princess should be killed on the spot."

Alex tried to stifle a gasp. She had faintly hoped that Joan would ignore her warning and tell everyone what had happened and they would be coming to save her.

"Come on, now," Dominic said, reading her thoughts. Alex had briefly forgotten that he could do so, although he had admitted that it was more or less emotions that he could read, rather than her specific thoughts. "You can't still be hopeful that your foolish family is coming to help you. It's a story, a fairytale. This is real and you will not be saved from me."

Alex said nothing. She wouldn't egg him on… and she knew he was right.

She was truly alone.

XxX

Joan made it back to Swan Lake just as Odette, Derek, and the others were about to go looking for her and Alex. She was panting heavily, unable to get enough air in her lungs as Odette, the first person to see her, ran over.

"Joan! Where have you been?"

"I – I was following Alex," she huffed, her face bright red. "But something terrible happened."

"What happened?" Matthew demanded, meeting her and Odette. "Is Alex alright?"

"She's not hurt but she…" Joan trailed off, trying to find a delicate way to tell him that the woman he loved had promised to marry another man, and for her sake, no less. Immediately, she felt guilty.

"She what, Joan?"

"The man who's been making her go to him… He threatened me. And unless Alex married him, he was going to kill me. I tried to tell her that she shouldn't, but she didn't listen!"

"And now she's going to marry him," Odette finished. The situation had Rothbart written all over it. She wondered if he had somehow survived and was now putting Alex in the same position she had been. This time, however, it was worse. Alex wouldn't refuse him if she even suspected that her family was in danger.

"Yes," Joan confirmed.

"I have to stop her," Matthew declared.

He went to his room, Joan and Odette in tow, and grabbed his sword, a long heavy thing. He remembered laughing at Alex once when she had playfully tried to wield it, but couldn't, due to its enormous weight. Those were better days. He tried to keep his mind off of that and stay on task.

"You can't go alone," Odette said.

"He won't; I'll go with him," Eli volunteered. He had been listening when Joan had explained the situation. While Matthew had gone off to get his sword, Eli had gone to get his.

Matthew looked over to him and smiled; glad he wouldn't have to handle the whole thing alone. Of course, he could count on Joan, Odette, and Derek to go with him, but he couldn't, in good conscience, put them in danger by asking them to do so.

"Let's hurry," Matthew said. "Alex may not have much time."

Eli followed him to the stables. Quickly, they mounted up. Suddenly, from somewhere behind them, someone was clearing their throat.

It was Joan, who had decided that she was going with them.

"Joan, it's too dangerous," Eli said.

Joan rolled her eyes at him; after ignoring her for twelve years of her life – he had only just started paying attention to her after Alex returned – she didn't have much patience for him when he decided to be overprotective. "You'll need to know where Alex was when she said she'd marry that creep. I'm sure they've moved on by now, but you'll need a good start."

Matthew nodded. "She's right. Lead the way, Joan."

"But after you take us there, you should go home," Eli added.

Joan nodded in agreement. "Fair enough… Come on."

She led the way, riding fast, down a seldom used road. They road deep into the forest, so deep, in fact, that Matthew wondered if they would ever get there.

Finally, they reached the old barn.

"This is as far as I can take you," Joan said.

"Thank you, Joan," Matthew said gratefully. He was one step closer to getting Alex back and getting serious revenge on the man who had put her through such misery.

"Not a problem. Good luck!" Joan turned back and rode home.

Eli watched in relief as Joan's figure disappeared in the dark; he was already in danger of losing one sister. He didn't want to have to worry about both.

Matthew and Eli dismounted. Quietly, they checked around the place, trying to find any sign of anyone. There was nothing. It seemed that Alex and her mysterious captor had completely vanished.

"Where do you think they went?" Eli asked after finding nothing.

"Well, if he plans on being married," Matthew replied, "he'll probably be looking for a church that's not too far from here."

Suddenly, a large man appeared in front of them. Eli drew his sword, and though he did not, Matthew was on his guard. With a quick gesture of his hand, he signaled for Eli to stand down a moment.

"Where is Alex?" he demanded.

"You're too late," the man replied haughtily. "The master has taken her away already. She is quite out of your reach."

In a sudden fit of blind rage, Matthew glared at the man, unable to think of words. It took all Eli's strength to hold him back for just one moment.

It was Eli who spoke next, since Matthew couldn't even form a coherent sentence at the moment. "Are you telling us that she is dead?"

"No… but soon, you will be."

The man dashed over and grabbed Eli, and began to hit him. Stunned, Eli dropped his sword and could not move fast enough to pick it up. He soon fell, too overpowered by how fast and strong the stranges was. The man was standing over Eli, kicking the boy while he was down. Matthew, having grown stronger in both his anger and his love for Alex, knocked the man over.

He picked him up by the collar of his shirt and held him about six inches off the ground so that his eyes were blazing upwards into the man's. "Where is she?!"

"I wouldn't tell you. Not now, not ever."

Matthew shook him. "Oh yes you will! Tell me!"

The man laughed. "Do you think I'm actually afraid of you? Hah!"

"Your silence isn't worth your life, sir," Matthew growled.

"Do as he says," Eli advised from afar. "You don't want him to be any angrier than he already is."

Matthew forced the man back and managed to slam him into a tree. "Talk! Where is she?"

For whatever reason, whether it was the look on Matthew's face, or the man's certainty that he would be killed if he didn't say something soon, he began to talk. "They headed north about twenty minutes ago! I don't know where exactly they went, I swear!"

Matthew dropped him as if he were no more than a common piece of trash. He and Eli mounted their horses again and rode off in the direction the man had given him. For his sake, Eli hoped the man was right.

"There's a village up north," Matthew said. "It's not too far and there's probably a church there. We might still have time."

Without another word, he gave the horse a kick and was off.

Silently, Eli prayed they weren't too late.

XxX

Alex and Dominic walked what seemed like forever until they came upon a small church in the country. Alex gulped nervously, hoping the priest wasn't around.

They entered the old church. Inside, there was no sound. Hardly any light came in through the stained glass windows and their footsteps echoed throughout the building.

Because of this, the priest had heard them. He greeted Alex and Dominic kindly. For a moment, he didn't know who the two people were, as they were not a part of his congregation. Then, it hit him. He knew the young woman who stood silently by the man's side, eying the man with an upsetting mixture sadness and anger, her face cast slightly down so that she was not looking at the priest.

For a moment, he wondered if his old eyes were failing him, so he said nothing.

"What can I do for the two of you?"

"We'd like to get married… tonight," Dominic said.

"Well… I… of course, sir. Whatever you like. But if I may have a moment alone with the young lady?" The priest could hardly stammer out the words. He knew the man was up to no good. There was no way that the two of them were in love.

"The girl is of age, I assure you."

"I understand, but I have a few questions for her. And they regard a less than amiable nature. In the meantime, you can freshen up. I'm sure you wouldn't want to look travel weary on you wedding day."

Knowing that he was pretty much invincible at the moment and that Alex wouldn't dare break their agreement, he consented. There was, he was told, a nearby river that he could wash off in, if he so chose. He did so, leaving Alex and the priest alone.

"Sit down, my child," the priest said, motioning to one of the pews.

Alex did so, and for the first time, she really looked at the priest's face. "Father Clarence?"

"Alexandra?"

The girl nodded excitedly.

"So it is you!"

"Yes father! I've missed you."

"And I've missed you. But I can tell that you are unhappy on this night. Tell me, you didn't come here of your own free will, did you?"

"I did," Alex said slowly. She explained her situation, lowering her voice so that she wouldn't be heard. "I didn't want anything bad to happen to my sister, especially after I just got her back."

"I understand," Father Clarence said, smiling a little. "That was very selfless of you. And this Matthew sounds like a good man."

"He is the best, Father. I miss him so."

Father Clarence nodded. "I understand. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"He has great power," Alex said nervously. "I don't know if there is anything you can do.

"I don't know if there is anything _anyone_ can do."

XxX

"Up there!" Matthew called, seeing a lonely church in the middle of the forest. "I am sure they're there."

He was just about to ride ahead and find Alex when Eli stopped him. "Wait!"

Eli led the way as quietly as he could back into the forest. There, out of sight of the church, they hid their horses.

"What was that all about?" Matthew demanded.

"I thought I saw someone walking around behind the church. I don't think we were discovered."

Quietly, they went back to where they had stopped earlier, about 50 yards from the front doors of the church. When they arrived, they could see a man going inside. He had red hair, was tall, and had a barrel chest. Matthew knew that he was the man who was causing Alex so much pain.

His fists clenched in rage.

Eli put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "Come on. Let's go get her."

"I'll kill him," Matthew growled. "I swear, I'll kill him."

"You'll get your chance," Eli replied, walking toward the church.

XxX

"Well?" Dominic asked. He was irritable now. He thought he had heard someone outside. He didn't want to run out of time. "Are you finished with your questions? May I marry my love now?"

Suddenly, the doors slammed open.

Standing there, to Alex's joy and worry at the same time, were Matthew and Eli.

Matthew walked in swiftly, his eyes narrowed in outrage. "Let her go."

"She agreed to marry me," Dominic replied confidently. "And if she values your life or the life of that worthless family of yours, she'll keep to her word."

"New deal," Matthew declared. "I will fight for her."

"And you will lose."

The church came crashing down around them as Alex watched Dominic transformed into the Great Animal of her father's memories.


	13. Chapter 13

"Run!" Matthew yelled, grabbing Alex's hand and yanking her out of her frozen state of shock. They, Father Clarence, and Eli ran out of the old church as Dominic – now The Great Animal – began to flap his large wings, thus damaging the rafters that held the rickety old church up.

Somewhere inside, Dominic had also managed to knock over one of the few candles that were burning in the middle of the night. Just as the whole place caught fire, Alex and the others were outside, safely away, crouched down in the forest's underbrush. Soon after, the old place collapsed, which ironically smothered the flames. Father Clarence gasped. Despite the fact that he was a man of the cloth, Father Clarence became very angry with the beast that destroyed his beloved church.

Alex looked to the old man. It was ironic that Dominic would make even a priest commit the sin of wrath, especially since she had never seen him even slightly irritated. Dominic, she supposed, just seemed to have that effect on people.

Matthew drew his sword and turned to Father Clarence. "Father, I must beg your forgiveness for killing a man on church grounds."

Father Clarence smiled at him. "That is no man, and there is no church. God be with you, my son."

Matthew gave a short nod before rushing out calling behind him: "Eli, stay with them and look after them for me!"

Alex, a little indignant – hadn't she dealt with enough for Matthew to not be so chauvinistic? – watched Matthew run off.

"He's not trying to be sexist," Eli said, as if reading her thoughts. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He wants you out of danger."

"And how do you think I feel about him being in danger?" she asked curtly.

Eli didn't answer. How could he? He understood the love she had for him, but he couldn't measure it, and he knew he would not be able to until he felt the same way about someone.

He watched in thoughtful silence as Matthew dodged Dominic, who dived after him constantly and with no mercy.

Keeping his energy up would prove as big a challenge as actually fighting the beast for Matthew. It was difficult to get even a swing in with Dominic doggedly pursuing him without reprieve. But Alex was still in danger, he knew, and if he failed, she would either die or be forced to marry him. He could not allow either one of those situations to come to fruition. He could not allow himself to fail.

Alex watched as Matthew ran this way and that, trying to avoid Dominic.

"That young man can move," Father Clarence noted.

"Yes," Alex agreed, proud of Matthew as well as worried about him. "But for how long?"

Suddenly, everyone lost sight of Dominic. Alex watched as Matthew looked around, trying to locate him. From her father's description of the events on the night he fought the Great Animal, she knew what was coming next.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, there was Dominic, diving down over Matthew, quietly, so that he couldn't hear and in his blind spot so that he couldn't see.

Alex, unwilling to risk losing Matthew, who was fighting so hard for her, dashed out from her hiding spot and, in the nick of time, tackled Matthew out of the way.

However, this left her open to Dominic's attack.

He picked her off the ground and flew around with her clenched in his mighty claws. Matthew looked up, and nearly cried out in agony for her as he saw the terrified look on her face. He was holding her by the neck of her dress – fortunately, he had missed her throat with his sharp talons – and was flying about with her swinging haphazardly in his clutches.

Suddenly, with a careless flick of his talons, he flung her into a nearby tree, as she knew he would have done to Matthew, had she not knocked him out of the way.

She had no time to think of this as she fell thirty feet to the ground, with many tree branches breaking her fall, but not making the landing any less painful.

"No!" Matthew cried out.

Dominic, who had been making a hissing sound that sounded like laughter, stopped what he was doing immediately and looked at the collapsed body that lay on the ground. He had not realized that he had picked Alex off the ground and not Matthew.

He shrieked in frustration.

Hurting her had not been part of his plan. If she died, he would probably have to take the kingdom by force, and he would, as his father had said twenty years before, spend the rest of his life trying to keep it.

Eli, seeing his sister on the ground in such agony – if she was alive at all – ran out, sword drawn, and distracted Dominic away from her as Matthew, thankful for Eli's thoughtfulness, rushed over to Alex.

He dropped to his knees, releasing his sword, which made a heavy, metallic clang on the ground, a sound so distant that he hardly paid any attention to it.

"Alex!" he cried, checking her pulse for the second time in two days. It was beating faintly. He cradled her in his lap, completely unaware of his surroundings and how Eli was struggling with Dominic for a moment. He had eyes only for her…

…Though he wished that she didn't look as she did. She had cuts all over her face and her dress had several rips in it where it had caught briefly on the branches of the tree. He couldn't feel any broken bones, but that certainly didn't mean that they were not there.

"Alex," he repeated, growing desperate. She had not answered. She was growing weaker; he could feel it.

"Matthew?" she whispered.

"Yes, love. I'm here."

"Matthew, I'm sorry. For everything."

"No, no. Don't be, Alex. It wasn't your fault. You didn't mean for anything bad to happen."

"You shouldn't have followed me."

"And you shouldn't have saved me," he replied smartly. "So we're even."

She laughed; he grimaced in pain when it came out sounding like a sputtering cough. "Matthew, I don't know if I'll be alright, so listen to me."

He was just about to argue when she interrupted.

"Listen. I want you to be happy, don't forget that. So if you find another, treat her as you have treated me. Be as good to her as you have been to me. But don't forget that I love you. Please don't forget that."

"Alex, there will never be another. You are the only one for me. And I'll never forget the love you had for me. And I'll never have to. You'll be alright, Alex. You'll make it through this."

"All the same," she said. "Remember for me."

"I will, Alex. I will."

Gently, after quickly sheathing his sword, he picked her up and brought her to Father Clarence. "Watch over her, Father."

"I will," Father Clarence replied. "She is in God's hands now, and He would not take an angel such as her from a saint such as you."

Matthew smiled weakly. "I pray that you are right."

Again, he drew his sword and called to Eli: "Go to Alex. She needs you now. I'll deal with Dominic."

Eli nodded and got out of the way. He had been losing the fight, as evidenced by the cuts and bruises that were all over him. He looked bad and was hurting, but seeing Alex made him forget about his own pain. He kneeled down beside her, keeping his sword drawn in case she needed defending. His gaze would shift every few moments from her to Matthew, who was still fighting as hard as he could.

But he was sure he was losing. Every moment proved to be a more difficult challenge than the last.

Suddenly, Dominic landed and transformed himself into his human form. Matthew glared at him with vehement hatred, absolute loathing.

"It was not my intention to harm the girl," Dominic said.

"Well you did," Matthew spat. "And you will pay for it."

"She is my future bride, boy. I have no fear of you. I will have the kingdom. And if you will stand aside, I will save her."

"No."

"Are you sure?" Dominic taunted. "She could be dying. What if I'm the only one who can help her and you kill me? Her blood would be on your hands."

Matthew, in his infinite love for Alex and his longing for her to live, pondered that.

It was a dilemma, to say the least. On one hand, if Dominic saved her, she would be forced to marry him. She would be miserable, but alive. On the other, if Matthew killed him, she might die, but at least she would be at peace. A frustrating conundrum, indeed.

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to be a no-win situation. He wouldn't sentence her to a lifetime married to Dominic, but could he really condemn her to death? And what would she want?

What was it his father had said?

"…_as a husband, it will be your responsibility to make sure Alex is safe and taken care of."_

True, they were not married yet. Still, Matthew felt responsible for her well-being. But he also wanted to be respectful of her wishes. It was a nigh impossible decision.

"Time is running short," Dominic hissed. "She might be dying right now."

For the first time, Matthew took a long, hard look at Dominic. He saw the greedy glint in his eyes. Matthew couldn't imagine Alex being happy married to someone like that. Of course, he couldn't see her married to anyone but himself. Still, he knew she would only be unhappy.

He opened his mouth to answer.

Xxx

Derek watched as Odette paced nervously in front of the window. He was sure that she would soon wear her way through the stone floor. As he watched, she did seem shorter…

Shaking himself awake, he stood up from the chair he had been sitting in and put a comforting arm around her.

"They'll be alright, Alex. Just stay calm."

"I cannot be calm until they are home," Odette replied, stress in her voice.

He was just about to reply when Odette stopped him.

"Derek, two of my children are out there, one of them I've only just gotten back. There's a boy who we've raised practically as our own. I can't be calm, not until they are safe and here at home."

"They'll be fine, Odette," Derek promised.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because the combined strength of the Alex and Matthew is greater than anything that would dare harm them. Coupled with that of Eli, and they are absolutely invincible."

Odette nodded in agreement. She was confident in all their abilities, especially Alex; she was so much stronger than Odette had been at that age, and she was not afraid to admit it. Still, there was so much danger – or, at least there _had_ to be, for Alex to have acted so strangely.

She trusted her daughter's strength, but she trusted her judgment more. Regardless of what positive spin Derek put on the situation, the truth was that they were in danger.

Nearby, Joan stirred in the large, overstuffed chair that she had been sleeping in.

"Are they back yet?" she inquired still half asleep.

"No," Odette answered, worry in her voice.

Joan became more awake, becoming worried herself. Like Odette, she knew she wouldn't be able to bear another night without knowing Alex was safe, let alone years of knowing that she was married to a man she so clearly despised, let alone a lifetime of knowing that Alex had died while in the clutches of the mysterious man who had held her heart hostage.

And then there was Matthew, a trusted, loved, friend of the family, someone who never faltered when needed, and someone who Eli looked up to… and speaking of Eli, the prince, the big brother, the person Joan aspired to be, despite all his flaws.

Losing any of them would be like having a nail torn from its finger, a blow to the face, a knife to the heart.

But all three of them were in danger. If all three died, would life be really worth living?

Odette thought not, and Joan was in agreement.

"It's taking them so long," Joan said, trying and failing to shake her morbid thoughts.

"I know Joan."

"They'll be fine," Derek insisted. His voice dropped in volume, thick in both hope and urgency. "They have to be."

XxX

"I will kill you," Matthew declared, glaring at Dominic.

"You would risk her life like that?" he asked condescendingly.

"You have obviously underestimated her. She is strong, and she's lived through too much to die now. Her own iron will is going to keep her alive. Of that, I have no doubt."

"So confident… you'll regret it."

"Maybe if I was confident in myself. But my confidence in her has never failed me. So are we going to continue this chatter, or are we going to settle this."

"Whatever you wish, your majesty."

There was another flash of blinding light as Dominic transformed himself again.

Meanwhile, Alex stirred, hearing the roar that Dominic made when he had transformed. Her face was contorted in pain and sadness.

"Matthew," she whispered.

Matthew, though he was a good distance away, heard her voice, heard her calling for him. It gave him courage. It gave him hope. If she was speaking, then surely she'd be alright.

"I love you," he said as he moved to strike again.

**AN: Well, I probably won't be able to update tomorrow or the next day, since I'll be pretty busy *cough*playing XBox 360*cough* So, I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas. **

**~The Phantom **


	14. Chapter 14

The fight was long and hard and fierce. Many times, Matthew wondered if he would even survive it. But he had to. He knew that.

He did have the cold comfort in knowing that – if he somehow failed - Eli would fight Dominic. However, he didn't trust Alex's safety in the hands of anyone other than himself, not even her loving brother, who would surely die for her.

The road was long and hard, but Matthew knew that at the end of it there was a chance that he could be safe with Alex. And he would take it at all costs.

Dominic was constant in his attacks. He knew that Alex would no longer be under his control even if he won. She would find a way to rid herself of him, even if Matthew died. If Matthew lived, he would surely kill Dominic. The only solution for Dominic was to kill them all, starting with this lively young man who was bravely swinging his sword at him at every chance he got.

Alex, in the meantime, was fading in and out of consciousness, caught between her desire to watch Matthew and make sure he was safe, and her inability to stay awake. Father Clarence and Eli watched over her carefully, both of them praying for her health.

"How is she?" Matthew called from his battle.

It surprised Eli to hear Matthew more preoccupied with Alex than his own fight. He tried to cobble together an answer. The truth was, he wasn't really sure how Alex was doing.

So Father Clarence answered for him. "Not so well, Matthew. She needs medical attention."

Matthew groaned. He hoped she would be able to hold out, but hearing that she needed help made him nervous.

"Enough," he said to himself. "Time to end this."

As Dominic flew upwards for what seemed like the thousandth time that night, Matthew prepared himself from below. He fixed his sword so that it was gripped tightly in his right hand.

He looked up, knowing where Dominic would strike. Matthew watched as he fell from the air, gaining speed as he plummeted towards the Earth. At the last moment, Matthew leaped out of the way and rolled on the ground about fifteen feet away.

While Dominic hit the Earth, not expecting Matthew to move out of the way so suddenly, Matthew gathered his strength for the last time that night. It was all or nothing; if he failed, he was lost and with him, Alex and Eli and all the rest. He knew what Dominic had to do, and he intended to stop him.

Dominic struggled to recompose himself. The body of The Great Animal was a cumbersome thing. It was slow and difficult to control.

Matthew knew this.

Just as Dominic got off the ground, he made the mistake that Matthew had been counting on. In a rage, he had flown up and roared, baring his chest at Matthew, as if to frighten him with his size. Instead, Matthew was glad for such a large target.

Making one wide arc with his right arm, the arm that held his sword, he loosed the sword at the very last moment and watched as it flew toward its target, cutting through the air as it would soon cut through The Great Animal's fur.

The sword cut clean through Dominic's body and embedded itself in a tree behind him. Matthew watched in shock and relief as, before his very eyes, Dominic's body exploded with the power that was released from his body, like the popping of a great balloon.

There was light and flames everywhere. He watched in complete shock.

As the smoke cleared, he was finally able to believe what had happened right in front of him.

Eli, who had watched everything from his spot in the underbrush, was excitedly talking to Alex, telling her everything he had just seen.

"Alex, he did it!" he said, animated. "He won. Dominic is dead."

Somewhere in her subconscious, Alex heard him. Unable to answer, she smiled weakly.

"She still needs help," Father Clarence said as Matthew walked over. He stood and clapped Matthew on the back. "Well done, my son. I will go into town and find a wagon for you all to ride home in."

Matthew nodded in thanks, too preoccupied with Alex to speak. Again, he dropped to his knees at his side, carefully picked her up, and cradled her as he had before. Eli gave them their space and made himself busy by looking for something in the church that Alex could lie on so that she was not on the ground.

"Alex, he's dead," Matthew said, both proud of himself and worried about her. "He's gone. Your safe now."

She managed to smile at him. "Gone? For sure?"

"For sure. Gone forever." He was silent for a moment, looking down at her. She was so weak. He could see that. "Are you alright? Does anything hurt?"

"These cuts sting a little and my head hurts, but it's not serious. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm just tired… if you can imagine that," she added, jokingly sarcastic.

He smiled down at her. "Well then, you rest. There'll be a wagon for you soon. You're going home, love."

Soon, the wagon arrived. While waiting, Alex had fallen asleep in Matthew's arms. She rested her head on his chest. He couldn't help but feel comforted in her sleep. It felt good to have her so close to him.

Gently, he lay her down in the back of the wagon. Father Clarence had thoughtfully spread some straw around for her. She slept soundly even as she was being moved around. For the first time, she seemed genuinely peaceful.

Eli had elected to ride on his horse alongside the wagon. He held the reigns to Matthew's horse as well, guiding it along. Father Clarence had volunteered to drive the wagon. Alex had Matthew's full and undivided attention the entire way back.

The trip took longer than normal, simply because they were going slower, trying to prevent the wagon from rattling too much. Alex needed to rest.

Soon, though, she woke and was well enough to speak, for a little while.

"Are we home yet?"

"Not yet, love," Matthew replied, kissing her forehead.

"It shouldn't be long now," Father Clarence called from the driver's seat. "I just caught sight of the castle."

Alex, somewhat to Matthew protest, sat up.

"Easy," he cooed as she moved about.

"I'm fine," she insisted, smiling to prove it. "I promise."

He nodded. "Of course."

"Father Clarence, I want to thank you so much for all you've done."

"Alexandra, I would be remiss if I didn't help you, not just as a princess, but as one of my most beloved charges. Tell me, when did you leave the orphanage?"

"It's been a little over a year. When Lady Diggs arrived, she became something of a tyrant, and I decided to start believing what you said about my not belonging there."

"A tyrant you say?"

"Yes," Alex confirmed.

He sighed. "I feared as much. But I didn't realize how bad she would be. If I had not been needed elsewhere, I would not have left."

"I understand," Alex assured him. "It was for the best that I left, I suppose. If I hadn't, I would never have found my family, and if that wouldn't have happened, Lady Diggs would still be there."

"You mean she is gone?"

"She is. I put Lydia and Mireia in charge."

"They are perfect for the job. Lydia's strength and Mireia's compassion will work together beautifully."

"I was thinking the same thing," Alex agreed.

"And when are you two getting married?" Father Clarence asked, changing the subject back to Alex, who he really wanted to hear about; it had been so long since he had last seen her, and she had grown up so much.

Alex looked to Matthew for an answer, receiving no help when he only shrugged.

"Soon," she replied tentatively. "Actually, I was wondering, since you're in the kingdom now and if Matthew wouldn't mind, would you perform the ceremony?"

"Sounds perfect to me," Matthew lovingly consented.

"I'd be delighted," Father Clarence said, much to Alex's happiness.

Alex, tired, sighed and leaned back in the wagon. So as not to disturb her, Matthew moved up to the driver's seat and talked to Father Clarence in hushed tones about the wedding.

At first, Alex did not sleep. She was so happy that she could hardly contain herself. It was hard to remember, even, the last time she was so joyful. She had the man she loved, the man who had raised her to wed them, her family, and, though it did not seem that important to her but it was crucial to everyone around her, her safety.

Finally, things were going her way.

A few minutes later, she fell asleep into a contented doze, feeling safe for the first time since her engagement ball.

XxX

Joan stared out the window like a sentinel at his post. She was tireless that night. She would not rest until she knew where her brother, sister, and future brother-in-law were and whether or not they were safe.

On the road that led from the gate beneath her window, she could see something. It was obscured by trees until it came into a small clearing. It was a wagon, with someone lying in the back of it and two people in the driver's seat and next to it were two horses, one with a rider.

She gasped.

Could it really be?

She was sure it was…

"They're back!" she exclaimed happily. "Mother, Father, they're back!"

Odette and Derek rushed to the window. Sure enough, they could see the wagon and the horses coming swiftly down the road. The person on horseback even waved up at them. They were sure that it was Eli.

There only cause for concern was the person sprawled out in the back of the wagon. The body was smaller than that of a man's. It had to be Alex. Like a candle being smothered, there was a sudden stop to everyone's relief. Had she been hurt? Would she be alright?

Then, one of the people in the driver's seat, presumably Matthew, craned around to talk to Alex.

They didn't watch anything else after that. Quickly, practically running to meet them, Derek, Odette, and Joan ran out of the room and started toward the stairs.

XxX

"Are you awake back there?" Matthew asked.

"Barely," Alex replied half jokingly. She was truly exhausted at the moment.

"Well, you'd better buck up pretty quick, or else your mother will worry about you."

"You mean… We're home?"

"Yes, we are."

Alex shot up excitedly. She cleared the straw from her hair with a little help from Matthew. He laughed as she scrambled to make herself look decent and unharmed. The truth was, her face was still fairly cut up and there was no hiding it, but Matthew said nothing. There was no point in upsetting her.

Father Clarence stopped the wagon just inside the gate.

Quickly, Alex's family, with Odette in the lead, made their way over.

"Alex!" Joan exclaimed, bounding over, running past Odette.

Eli dismounted, smiling widely. Matthew helped Alex down from the wagon and Father Clarence met up with them. The four of them stood together, grinning from ear to ear, despite their exhaustion.

Joan, knowing better than to stand in between Odette and Alex, went over to Eli first and watched the mother-daughter reunion.

"Alex!" Odette exclaimed, worried. "Your face! Are you alright."

"I'll be alright, Mother," Alex promised with all the sincerity in her heart. "I'm just so glad to be home."

"We're glad to have you home," Odette said, hugging her daughter close.

Derek spoke first to Matthew, who didn't look better than Alex at all. "You look like you had quite a battle," he commented.

"I did… with The Great Animal."

"No! You're serious?"

"Very," Alex answered for him. "Rothbart, after he had been banished from King William's kingdom, shortly after Mother was born, actually got married and had a son. His son grew up to be just like him, with no help from the death of his mother when he was seven years old. So with no other interference, Rothbart trained his son, Dominic, to be just like him. He came after me, thinking he could do what his father could not and gain control of the kingdom."

"But he was wrong," Matthew finished. "And he's dead."

"And he's been the one causing all the trouble?" Derek asked.

"Yes," Alex replied. "And he threatened all your lives, knowing that I wouldn't tell a soul, so long as you were in danger. That's how he kept me silent. He put me under a spell that made me obey him as well. That's why I became sick when you tried to stop me from leaving."

Derek nodded.

Odette could hardly believe it and yet… "It all makes sense now."

"Oh! And I almost forgot," Alex said, pointing out Father Clarence. "This is Father Clarence, the man who raised me after I was kidnapped."

Derek and Odette smiled warmly at the old priest.

"Thank you so much," Odette said gratefully, "for looking after our little girl."

"Any man with a heart would have done the same," Father Clarence replied. "It was God's will that she would become great. I see that in her since the day I saw her."

"She is pretty wonderful," Matthew agreed.

Alex blushed a bright crimson color and looked to the ground.

"Father Clarence's church was destroyed tonight," she said, truing to get the subject off of her.

"Then we'll rebuild it," Derek said, reading her thoughts.

Father Clarence had never looked so happy before. "Thank you so much, Your Majesty."

They talked for a while longer, until Alex's yawns became so frequent that she could hardly speak. Matthew escorted her inside.

Arms linked, he walked her right up to her bedroom door.

"Sleep well, my love," he said, kissing her.

And so she did, dreaming only of him.

**Okay, so I lied. But what can I say? I was inspired! Anyway, the next chapter will be some more fluff and then it should be the end. Thanks so much for reading, and, again, Merry Christmas. :D **


	15. Chapter 15

**AHH!!! I am so sorry for the mix up with this chapter! In fact, I see the FailBoat on the horizon, and I know it's for me. Since there's no graceful way out of this, I shall mutter my apologies, bow my head, and walk away.**

**~The Phantom**

Alex awoke a little later than usual the next morning, and that was only because she could not sleep any longer. If she could have had her way, she doubted she would have left her room at all. However, there was damage control to be done, she knew, and she couldn't just lie about all day.

She changed and quietly crept out of her room, not wanting to draw attention to herself quite yet. She was sure she looked frightful, with all the cuts on her face.

She turned around to close the door. Slowly, she pulled it shut, not making any sudden movements until she heard the click of the door closing. She turned around, only to see Odette standing right in front of her.

Alex jumped a little, startled.

"I'm sorry," Odette apologized quickly. "I just wanted to check on you."

Alex stared for a moment, slightly surprised.

"Yes, Alex, I still do that," Odette laughed, seeing the expression on Alex's face.

"I understand," Alex assured her, laughing a little as she imagined how surprised she must have looked. "I don't know… I guess I'm still out of it."

Odette nodded understandingly, scanning over her daughter's face, which was no longer pale with weakness and lack of sleep – it was filled with its normal color, which helped hide the scratches that were caused after Dominic threw her against the tree when she fell. "Well, you look better, at least."

"Thanks… I was thinking… I was thinking that…" Alex sighed in light frustration, unable to come up with an eloquent way of saying what was on her mind. "Look, I want to apologize to you for how I acted and the way I handled things."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Alex," Odette assured her, smiling sympathetically. "You did the best you could to keep us safe."

"But it wasn't enough. Joan was still in danger and then Eli and… Matthew… if anything had happened to him I just don't know what I would do… anyway, I should have thought of a better way out of it… I should have stopped Dominic myself."

"Alex, you're a fighter. There's no denying that. You can take care of yourself in most situations, but that doesn't make you superhuman, and even you need help sometimes."

"I just feel so bad for dragging everyone into this."

"It would have been just as bad if you had married him."

"How so? You would have been in no danger and I wouldn't have had to sneak out all the time."

"But we still would have worried," Odette informed her matter-of-factly. "He would not have let you see us and we would worry about you all the time… and Matthew would have been absolutely heartbroken."

The last statement stung a little.

Alex sighed. "I suppose you're right. It was just unfair that you were kept in the dark and worrying about me. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."

"Don't let it bother you, Alex. We're just glad you're alright."

Alex nodded, not really planning on heeding her mother's advice – but she'd never let Odette know that.

"Is Joan around?"

"She's in her room."

"Good. I owe her my gratitude."

Odette watched Alex go, still concerned. Alex was letting her guilt eat her up, and it wasn't good. Still, if saying she was sorry to everyone helped her, then it was for the best, though she was sure no one would accept the unnecessary apologies.

Alex, deep in her own thoughts, walked down the hallway toward Joan's room. Apologizing to Joan would be easier; she wouldn't have that worried look on her face that Odette had. Still, 'easier' didn't mean 'easy.' Alex wasn't sure how she would say she was sorry.

So, she decided to wing it.

She knocked on the door. Joan immediately answered and smiled at Alex, who, in comparison to all the days before, looked great.

"Hey, Alex! How are you?" she asked good-naturedly.

"Better," Alex replied. "Thanks. May I come in?"

"Sure."

Joan stepped aside and allowed Alex in, closing the door behind her, sensing her old sister had something important to say.

Alex sat down on the bed. Following her lead, Joan sat next to her.

"Joan, I want to say I'm really sorry… for everything that's happened. I'm sorry you got caught up in it."

Joan was just about to speak when Alex cut her off, holding up her hand for silence. In the split second that Alex looked at Joan's face at that moment, she could see that she had been wrong earlier; Joan looked just like Odette at that moment – the same worried expression was on her face.

"But I also wanted to thank you for doing something that I didn't have the courage to do."

"Which was…?"

"Defying Dominic. I didn't have the bravery to do it, so everyone worried and I hurt a lot of people. And then you come along, ignoring me when I insist that I'll be alright and following me, trying to help me, and then when I beg you not to breathe a word of it to anyone because I'm so sure he'll kill you all, you have the guts to take a chance and say something. And I'm lucky that you did that. I don't think I'd be here if you hadn't."

"Alex, do you remember when you first came back and you sorted things out between Eli and me?"

"Yes, why?"

"I owed you for that. Think of this as my way of repaying you."

"Yeah, but you went above and beyond!"

"Call it interest," Joan laughed.

Alex smiled in spite of herself. "Call it what you will, I still owe you one."

"Okay then, you can stop apologizing to me." Joan gave Alex a cheeky grin. "Then we can call it even."

Alex laughed. "Alright. Even." She stood up, still smiling. "Where is Matthew?"

"By the lake. He wanted to give you your space."

Alex nodded. "I need to talk to him. I'll see you later."

"But Alex," Joan said, reminding her, "you said that you wouldn't apologize anymore."

"I said I wouldn't apologize to _you,_" Alex replied coolly.

Joan smiled, outwitted, but glad that Alex even had the energy to think of a comeback. "Later."

XxX

Alex watched from under a tree as Matthew skipped a rock into the lake. In that moment, it fully hit her how much she loved him and how much she had missed him. She watched as, with perfect form and grace, Matthew skipped another stone across the surface of the lake.

Her heart gave a tug. It was immeasurable how much she loved him.

Somehow sensing her proximity, he turned and faced her. He smiled lovingly at her, himself reminded of how much he cared for her.

"Hello," he greeted her smoothly, walking over to her. Before she could speak, he had her in a passionate lip-lock.

She slid her arms around him, pulling him closer. They stood like that for a few long moments, just holding each other. It had been so long since they felt safe together. Alex could think of no other place she'd rather be. His arms were more protective around her than the castle walls. There, she felt invincible.

Matthew liked knowing he made her feel safe; it gave him a sense of pride and, although it sounded cliché, a reason for living.

Finally, they pulled apart. Matthew carefully examined Alex's face, satisfied that she was looking much better, but upset because she had been hurt, as evidenced by the small wounds on her face.

"How do you feel?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"Better," she replied, "now that we're together… without having to worry about Dominic."

Matthew sighed and began to sit down, tugging her hand so she would do the same. Beneath a large oak tree, the took a seat side by side, quiet for a moment as Matthew gathered his thoughts. Slowly, still thoughtful, he turned to her.

"Alex, are you alright… emotionally?"

She blushed, although she didn't know why. He was asking her an obvious question and he was her future husband – why shouldn't he be able to ask without fear of embarrassment? Still, it was difficult to answer. With Dominic still fresh on her mind and her guilt eating at her, knowing how to answer the question was not easy.

But she knew she had to be honest for both their sakes. She couldn't keep the truth from him as she had before. And although she had nothing to fear, she was going to have a hard time keeping herself truthful.

"I feel so guilty for hiding things from you and getting you involved and not handling things for myself… You fought for me. I was scared to death the entire time I watched you fight Dominic. My biggest fear was losing you and when I saw Dominic about to pick you off the ground… I… I panicked. I had to make sure you were alright, at least as long as I could protect you."

Matthew let that sink in for a moment before he spoke. "I'm the one that should feel guilty. I was supposed to look after you, to protect you, and, because of my fear of insulting your ability, I did nothing. I let you suffer and for that, I am sorry."

"But-"

"I'm serious. I was so afraid of insulting your pride and hurting your feelings and intruding where I was not wanted that I forgot my duty to you. I'm supposed to protect you, to look after you. And I didn't. I let you get hurt."

Alex sighed. "It's funny. After Joan left me alone with Dominic, I yelled at him. I was so angry that I told him that I blamed him for everything bad that was happening to me and that I hated him."

"It was all true."

"But it's so hard to say that he was the only one who caused trouble."

"Alex, love, listen to me: you did the best you could."

"Everyone keeps saying that! Do you all just mean you would have handled it differently and that I am just inept?"

"Who wouldn't handle it differently? It's not that we think you incapable. It's just that we don't all think alike, and there was no right answer to that puzzle. But I believe that if there was a better way, you would have found it. I believe in you as much as I love you."

He pulled her into another deep kiss, silencing any other arguments she may have had.

XxX

The wedding was a beautiful affair, especially since no one really thought it would come.

It had been put off for another month to give Alex some time to recuperate. It took a while for her strength to rebuild, but when it did, she absolutely glowed. The scratches on her face went away, save for one, which scarred and left a mark just above her right eyebrow. Fortunately, it could only be seen in the right light.

Alex waited with growing impatience for her wedding day to come. It wasn't easy, as she felt she had waited and waited for so long…

But it came, and there was no one happier than Alex and Matthew.

Odette watched as Alex and a few maids made some last minute adjustments on her dress. Odette wondered why they bothered; Alex couldn't have looked more perfect if she tried. Presently, there was a knock at the door.

It was Joan's voice that called. "Mother! It's almost time!"

She let herself into the small room in the back of the church.

From where she was standing, she heard a small gasp from Joan as the maids stepped out of the way, their work finished.

Odette couldn't stop a tear from rolling down her cheek.

"Alex…" Joan began. She couldn't find the words to finish.

"You look wonderful," Odette said.

Alex felt her face grow warm with a blush. She was just about to speak when there was another knock at the door.

This time, it was Derek. He let himself in, walking quickly in his excitement.

"Alex, it's time," he announced, smiling. "You look great."

Nervously, she took his arm and prepared herself to walk down the isle and make the most important move of her life; from single young lady to wife, a step that was only moments away.

"Wait!" Joan called rushing over. "You'll need these," she said as she handed Alex her bouquet of beautifully arranged white roses, a trademark for the family's special events.

"Thank you," Alex replied, trying not to cry. She was nervous, but so happy that the feeling was muted… for a while, that is. She would be alright until she reached the altar… then, she wasn't sure how she would feel.

Derek smiled as they stood for a moment at the doors that would lead into the main part of the church. The guards standing there, as if on cue, opened them, revealing quite a gathering. Every pew was full of friends and well-wishers. Alex could see Mireia and Lydia at the front, waiting excitedly.

And beyond them, more importantly, was Matthew, smiling at her, proud and patient. She felt her knees buckle slightly. Fortunately for her pride, her father didn't notice – and if he did, he at least pretended not to, in which case, she was grateful.

He turned to her and whispered some advice into her ear. "Smile, Alex, it's your wedding day."

She did so gladly. Together, they walked down the aisle, closer and closer with each step to Matthew, who was growing more excited with anticipation.

The ceremony was a blur. The only moment that really seemed to matter was the confident 'I do' that emanated from his lips the moment he got the chance.

XxX

That night, after being around guests for hours and watching Eli nervously talk to Mireia and Joan fend off suitors, Alex and Matthew snuck out for a little while, to their favorite spot by the lake.

There, Matthew took her in his arms and kissed her, more passionately than he ever had before.

"I love you," he whispered. "More than anything, I love you."

"And I love you," replied. "More than anything."

He smiled. "I'm glad I can finally call you my wife."

"And I can call you my husband. Mine and mine alone," she grinned.

He laughed. "Love, I was yours long before we were married. This just makes it official."

"It's like a journey," she whispered. "And I wonder what's next for us."

He shrugged. "Children, maybe, ruling the kingdom, getting old together… so much, Alex. So much."

"And you're not afraid?" she asked, curiously.

"Not when I'm with you," he replied confidently. "You make me invincible."

"I feel the same way," she said.

He offered his arm to her. "Shall we go back?"

"Not yet," she replied, drawing closer to him. He followed her lead and tilted his head.

They kissed.

"We have forever."

**I am insanely sorry for the delay in updating, but I hope this last piece has at least somewhat made it up to you (I'm looking at you, lilmoo ;D). Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing and everything in between and I'll see you next time! **

**~The Phantom **


End file.
